Rhizome shortly creeping, 4-6 mm in diam., with 2 or 3 rows of fronds, densely scaly; scales brown, ovate-lanceolate, subclathrate. Fronds close together; sterile fronds pinnate, 20-90 cm; stipe 10-20 cm, base 2-3 mm in diam.; lamina green to blackish, dark green when dry, lanceolate, pinnate, 40-80 × 5-13 cm, herbaceous, both surfaces glabrous; stipe and lower side of basal part of rachis usually with small, blackish, spreading scales; terminal segment 1-6 cm; rachis with a narrow wing except for lowest part; pinnae 20-35 pairs, alternate to opposite, sessile, up to 3.5 cm apart, elliptic-lanceolate, 2.5-4 × 1-1.5 cm, base rounded-truncate, ± symmetrical, margin finely serrate, or serrately lobed to 1/3 toward costa, apex rounded or acuminate, lowermost 2 pinnae deflexed or not; veinlets 2-4 pairs, simple pinnate. Fertile fronds 16-30 cm; lamina lanceolate, 16-20 × 1.5-2.5 cm, widest usually near middle; pinnae 20-25 pairs, ca. 1.5 cm apart, elliptic, 6-12 × 3-4 mm, margin entire or irregularly undulate, apex obtuse. Sporangia inserted throughout abaxial surface. 2n = 82*.
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Sterile fronds pinnate, 20-90 cm long; lamina index 3-9, 18-80 by 4.5-15 cm, terminal segment 1-6 cm long, herbaceous, green to blackish, the petiole and lower side of the basal part of the rachis usually with small, blackish, spreading, ± permanent scales; rachis with a narrow wing except for the lowest part; pinnae 35-90, up to 35 mm apart, index 2-6, 2.5-8 by 0.8-2 cm, base usually symmetrical, (narrowly) cuneate to subcordate, margin finely serrate, biserrate, or serrately lobed to 1/3 towards the costa, the spines often tooth-like; terminal segment narrowly triangular; venation pattern: secondary veins on either side with 1-3 tertiary veins, see Fig. 27g. Fertile fronds 20-80 cm long; pinnae index 1-6, 0.4-3(-4) by 0.3-0.7 cm. Sporangia inserted on and near the veins. Spores with a smooth cristate-undulate perispore. Chromosomes n = 41.