Rhizome stout, far-creeping, paleate; stipites distributed along rhizome. Stipes stout, scabrid, purplish to almost black, polished, paleate towards base; 30-70-(90) cm. long. Rhachis and secondary rhachides stout, polished, dark brown to almost black, ± hispid to pubescent, ± flexuose. Lamina dark green, firm, glab. or sparsely hairy, broadly deltoid, 3-4-pinnate, 30-70-(90) × 30-50 cm. Primary pinnae alt., 15-30-(40) × 10-20-(30) cm.; lower deltoid to ovate-lanceolate, again pinnate to bipinnate; upper with basal shorter pinnae. Secondary pinnae up to 15 × 3 cm., ovate-lanceolate; tertiary pinnae up to 3 × 1 cm. Pinnules numerous, rather close-set, stalked, dimidiate-oblong to subrhomboid, up to 15 × 5 mm.; lower margin entire, straight to concave or concave-convex; upper margin with alt. shallow and rather deep crenate lobes. Sporangia in sinuses of shallow lobes, protected by lunulate to oblong-or orbicular-reniform reflexed margins 1·5-2 mm. long, c. 8 groups per pinnule.
Rhizomes far-creeping, scaly. Stipes and rachises rough; midribs of pinnae hairy. Laminae broadly ovate, 35-80 × 20-50 cm, (3)-4-pinnate. Primary pinnae alternate, 8-12 on each side of rachis bearing secondary pinnae, and a terminal portion bearing undivided primary pinnae. Ultimate pinnules ± oblong or parallelogrammoid, 4-13 × 3-6 mm; stalk attached at proximal corner; upper and outer margins regularly lobed, lower and inner margins entire; upper surface glabrous, lower glabrous or hairy, both surfaces dark green. Indusia crescent-shaped with shallow sinuses, glabrous, up to 10 per pinnule on upper and outer margins.