Plants 60-80 cm tall. Rhizome short, suberect or prostrate; scales at apex of rhizomes yellowish brown to dark brown, opaque, linear-lanceolate, 10-20 mm, margins entire, fibriform and curly at apex. Stipe brown at base, dark stramineous toward apex, 25-40 cm, 2-3 mm in diam. at base, grooved above, densely clothed with subulate, 3-5 mm, dark brown, spreading scales; scales on rachises and main veins similar but smaller. Lamina bipinnatifid, ovate-triangular, 25-40 × 15-25 cm, decurrent toward apex; pinnae 2-4(or 5) pairs; basal pinnae largest, subopposite, triangular, 12-18 × 4-6 cm, bases asymmetrically rounded-cuneate, margins deeply lobed without free pinnules, apices caudate-acuminate; basal basiscopic lobes of basal pinnae longest, 4-5 × 1-1.5 cm; bases of upper pinnae or lobes decurrent with veinlets arising from rachis. Lamina thickly papery to leathery, subglabrous on both surfaces, rachises and main veins stramineous, densely clothed with long, brown, articulate hairs and spreading, linear squamules; veins pinnate, free, distinct, with some veinlets arising from costae, simple or forked, rarely a few veinlets anastomosing. Sori orbicular, medial or submedial, in 2 irregular rows between main veins, exindusiate. Perispore coarsely folded.
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