Trunk subterranean, to 40 × 35 cm above ground; bark dark brown, densely scaly. Leaves 5-20(-30), 1-pinnate, 1.5-3 m × 40-60 cm; petiole green in 1st year, 20-70 cm, subterete, with 10-25 spines 3-8 mm along each side, 2-6 cm apart; leaf blade oblong, flat; leaflets in 20-75 pairs, longitudinally inserted 1-3 cm apart at 60-100° to rachis, straight, 20-38 × (1.2-)1.8-2.5 cm, papery, base constricted into a very short petiolule, margin flat or somewhat undulate, apex long acuminate. Cataphylls triangular, 4-6 × 1.2-1.5 cm, brown tomentose. Pollen cones subcylindric, 15-25 × 4-7 cm; microsporophylls broadly cuneate, 1.4-1.7 cm × 7-10 mm, pale brown tomentose abaxially, apex of median microsporophylls shortly acute, blunt. Megasporophylls 5-15(-20), loosely grouped, 9-13 cm, pale brown tomentose, glabrescent; stalk 5-7 cm; sterile blade broadly ovate, subcordate, or rarely obovate, 3.5-5.5 × 2.5-5 cm, deeply divided into 15-25 subulate, pointed lobes 2-3.5 cm, terminal lobe somewhat flattened, 2.5-4 cm; ovules 2 or 3 on each side of distal part of stalk, glabrous. Seeds often 2, yellowish when fresh, brown when dry, broadly ovoid or ellipsoid, 1.8-2.7 × 1.5-2.5 cm; sclerotesta smooth. Pollination Mar-May, seed maturity Sep-Nov.
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