Cibotium Kaulf.

Caudex massive, erect or prostrate (Malaysian species mostly the latter), the apex protected by a thick cover of long slender hairs. Stipes always long, smooth, covered with hairs at the base or throughout. Fronds large, bipinnate, lowest pinnae not greatly reduced, all axes more or less hairy, or in some cases glabrescent; pinnules deeply pinnatifid throughout, the lowest lobes sometimes free as tertiary leaflets, lobes each with a costule bearing simple or forked lateral veins; costae of pinnules raised (not grooved) on upper surface; fertile pinnules not different in shape or size from sterile. Sori at the ends of veins, protected by two indusia which are alike in texture and different from the green lamina of the lobes on which they are borne, the outer indusium deflexed so that the sorus appears to be on the under side of the lobe, the inner indusium at maturity bending back towards the costule and elongating, usually becoming oblong, the two indusia joined together for a short distance at the base, thus forming a small cup round the receptacle of the sorus; receptacle somewhat prominent, elongate obliquely to the end of the vein which bears it, bearing numerous sporangia and long paraphyses; sporangia similar to those of Dicksonia; spores trilete, bearing few strongly raised ridges on the outer surface.