Rhizome very stout, often produced into an erect caudex up to 30 cm. or more tall, invested by bases of fallen stipites; clad in dark subulate-attenuate paleae up to 3 cm. long; emitting stolons bearing offset plants; stipites numerous, tufted, paleate at base. Stipes stout, brown, smooth, shining, 7-20 cm. × 2-4 mm., ± pilose, becoming nude. Rhachis stout, grooved, pale brown, ± pilose. Sterile lamina thinly coriac., about lanceolate, 30-100 × 5-15 cm.; pinnate below, pinnatifid above, pinnae numerous. Pinnae diminishing upwards and downwards from mid-region; ± paleate and pilose when young; apical pinnae sts ± fertile. Larger pinnae 3-8 cm. × 5-10 mm. or more, close-set, meeting at dilated bases, narrow-oblong, straight to subfalcate, acute to subacuminate, crenulate, green above, whitish to brownish below. Veinlets evident, us. forked. Fertile lamina up to 70 × 5 cm., narrow lanceolate, erect; pinnae 2-3-(4) cm. long, linear to oblong, attached by widened sterile base, rather distant, bearing slender hairs. Sori covering all but costa, indusium becoming erose.
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