Stems to 2 (-4) m tall. Leaves 80-150 cm long, strongly keeled (opposing pinnae inserted at 40-70° on rachis), with 100-220 pinnae, blue, dull. Petiole 15-26 cm long, spinescent for 5-50% of length (often only 2 or 3 distal spines). Median pinnae 7-20 cm long, 6.5-7.5 mm wide, narrowed to 4.5-6 mm at base (to 75-85% of maximum width), inserted at 40-50° to rachis, 9-13 mm apart, tomentose; margins slightly recurved; midrib raised above, more prominent below. Cataphylls narrowly triangular, soft, 4-8 cm long. Pollen cones narrowly ovoid to fusiform, 30-40 cm long, 7-9 cm diam., orange to brown. Microsporophyll lamina 30-40 mm long, 16-20 mm wide; apical spine 6-12 mm long. Megasporophylls 26-36 cm long, with 4-8 ovules; lamina lanceolate, 70-95 mm long, 10-22 mm wide, regularly dentate with 12-20 lateral spines 2-5 mm long and 2-3 mm wide; apical spine 25-65 mm long. Seeds 32-36 mm long, 27-32 mm wide.
Occurrences in the King Leopold Range are locally abundant, in shallow to skeletal sandy soil over the hard siliceous metasandstones, often but not always on sloping sites. Populations at Kimbolton Homestead are unusual in being both on similar substrata to the above, and also in red clay on rocky basalt outcrops.
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