Rhizome ascending. Fertile fronds over 1 m; stipe dark stramineous, 30-40 cm, ca. 6 mm in diam., with slightly aculeate protuberances, slightly scaly to base, all with sparse soft hairs when young, then glabrous; scales brown, narrowly lanceolate, up to 1 cm, margin serrate; lamina lower part 2-pinnate, upper part 1-pinnate, deltoid-ovate, 50-70 × ca. 40 cm at base; pinnae ca. 10 pairs, alternate, ascending, lower pinnae with stalk ca. 1.2 cm; basal pinnae sessile, large, oblong-lanceolate or lanceolate, expanded, 4-6 × 1-1.5 cm, base symmetrical, broadly cuneate or subtruncate, margin subentire or repand, crenate, serrate to apex, apex shortly acuminate; veins abaxially prominent, 4 or 5 pairs per lobe, ascending, basal 1 or 2 pairs anastomosing with tip-deltoid aperture. Lamina herbaceous, both surfaces without hairs; rachis and costa adaxially with dense aculeate protuberances. Sori linear, 3 or 4 pairs per lobe, basal line abaxial, often paired on 1 vein; indusia brown, linear, membranous, persistent.