Rhizome stout, shortly creeping; stipites clustered. Stipes us. stout, scabrid, very dark brown, shining, 15-30-(40) cm. long; clad in greyish pubescence when young. Rhachis rather stout; densely clad, at least when young, in hispid hairs. Costae hispidulous. Lamina 15-35 × 10-30 cm., broadly flabellate, dark olive green (pink to red when immature), firm, glab. to ± hispid; divided into (5)-10-(15) branches. Primary pinnae 7-20 × 1-3 cm., about lanceolate-acuminate. Secondary pinnae up to 15 × 5 mm., dimidiate-oblong to dimidiate-rhomboid, very shortly stalked, very close-set; lower margin entire, upper with numerous small crenate teeth. Sporangia 10-15 groups per pinnule, close-set, in sinuses, protected by lunulate to reniform reflexed margin 1-2 mm. long.

2n = c. 164–173

n = c. 174

2n = c. 162–168

2n = c. 160

2n = c. 166

Rhizomes short-creeping or ± erect, scaly. Stipes and rachises stiffly hairy. Laminae broadly ovate to ± orbicular, 12-30 × 10-25 cm, usually pedate, sometimes (2)-3-pinnate, divided into 5-15 branches to 20 cm long and bearing up to 40 pinnules on each side. Ultimate pinnules ± oblong or parallelogrammoid, 5-15 × 3-6 mm; stalk attached at proximal corner; upper and outer margins finely toothed, lower and inner margins entire; upper surface glabrous, lower hairy, both surfaces dark green at maturity but red-tinged when young. Indusia ± reniform with shallow sinuses, hairy, up to 22 per pinnule on upper and outer margins, often extending to inner margin.