Trunk sometimes branched, to 5 m × 45 cm, apex very tomentose; bark black, scaly. Leaves to 50 or more, 1-pinnate, (1.1-)1.3-1.6(-2) m × 20-30(-40) cm; petiole (10-)15-25 (-30) cm, subtetragonal in cross section, with 7-14 spines along each side; leaf blade oblong, strongly "V"-shaped in cross section, recurved, densely orange-brown tomentose when young; leaflets in 130-200 pairs, horizontally inserted at 55-65° above rachis, straight to subfalcate, not glaucous when mature, 14-20 cm × 5-8 mm, leathery, sparsely pubescent abaxially, base decurrent, margin flat or slightly recurved, apex attenuate, pungent. Cataphylls triangular, 4-7 × 1.7-2.5 cm, densely pale brown tomentose, apex pungent. Pollen cones ovoid-cylindric, 45-55 × 8-13 cm; microsporophylls narrowly obtriangular, 3.5-4.5 × 1.1-1.5 cm, apex cuspidate. Megasporophylls bright orange-red, spadelike, 15-28 cm, pale brown tomentose, glabrescent; stalk 8-17 cm; sterile blade suborbicular or rhombic-orbicular, 7-14 × 6-11 cm, pectinate, with 29-39 lobes 2-4.5 cm; ovules 2(or 3) on each side of stalk, densely pale brown tomentose. Seeds 2-6, orange-red, narrowly obovoid or subellipsoid, 4-5 × 2.5-3.3 cm, often with remnant hairs; sclerotesta with 2 or 3 irregular grooves on each side. Pollination Apr-Jun, seed maturity Sep-Oct.
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