Rhizome ascending, covered with scales at apex. Fronds caespitose. Stipes dark brown at base and stramineous or purple upward, 25-35 cm, 2-3 mm in diam., black and clothed with scales at base, scales black or blackish brown, lanceolate; upper stipe and rachis subglabrous. Lamina ovate or ovate-lanceolate, 25-30 × 20-25 cm, bipinnate; basal pinna largest and curved acroscopically, thus lamina rounded at base. Pinnae ca. 10 pairs, subopposite, 3 or 4 pairs on lower part distinctly enlarged, 15-20 × 5-10 cm, stalked, curved at apex. Pinnules 8-10 pairs, lanceolate; pinnules on basiscopic side of lowest pinnae distinctly larger than those on acroscopic side; lowest basiscopic pinnule on lowest pinna largest, 6-7 × ca. 2 cm, truncate at base, subsessile, obtuse or acute at apex, pinnatipartite or pinnatisect; all basiscopic pinnules curved to apex of pinna. Segments obtuse, with 1 or 2 apical teeth. Veins pinnate, ending short of margin. Lamina herbaceous, dark green, glabrous on both surfaces except abaxial surface of pinna rachis and costa sparsely clothed with brown, bullate scales. Rachis and pinna rachis stramin-eous. Sori in 1 row on either side of costa, medial; indusia dark brown, reniform, entire.