Stem elongate, to 25 cm diam., with an elongate tuberous tap root, and 5-20 short, slender leaf-and cone-bearing branches. Leaves 5-30 in the crown, erect, with 6-16 spreading branches (pinnae), 100-200 cm long, to 100 cm broad; petiole to 100 cm long. Pinnules 7-30 on each pinna, sharply and regularly serrate, a few sometimes coarsely lacerate, obliquely lanceolate, decurrent at base, 7-15 cm long, 1.5-4 cm broad. Pollen cones stalked, ovoid, to 5 cm long, 2.5 cm diam.; sporophylls broadly cuneate, distally dilated and truncate. Female cones sessile, ovoid to globose, to 10 cm long, 10 cm diam.; sporophylls in about 8 ranks; expanded ends ±hexagonal, 30-55 mm wide, c. 15 mm tall. Seeds to 32 mm long, 18 mm wide.
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A small palm like plant. It has a trunk which is underground. The leaves are 1 m long and arch over. They are feather-like. The leaves are twice divided. The leaflets are leathery and oval. They are shiny green and have deep teeth along the edge. New growth is shiny bronze. Male and female flowers are separate and on separate plants. The male cones are oblong. The female cones are round. They occur in groups at ground level. The seeds are round and grey. They are 2 cm across.
It grows in highland rainforests in Queensland. Near Rockhampton it grows from sea level to 700 m altitude. It needs some shade. It suits tropical, subtropical and warm temperate climates. It can only tolerate light frost. In Cairns Botanical Gardens.
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Grows in dry sclerophyll eucalypt forest.
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