Rhizome rather short-creeping, 1.5-2 mm ø; scales medium brown, very narrowly triangular, to 1.5 mm long, to c. 12-seriate at base, with a short uniseriate apex. Leaves close; petioles stramineous, abaxially rounded or rarely upward obtusely bi-angular, to 70 cm long, 1-2 times as long as the lamina. Lamina 15-35 cm long, bipinnate or (only when not yet full-grown?) simply pinnate, with 1-6 pinnae to a side and a conform terminal one; primary rachis similar to the petiole. Pinnae (and simply pinnate lamina) to 25 cm long, 2.5-5 (-7) cm wide, ascending, half their width apart to contiguous, widest below or in the middle or sometimes scarcely narrowed close to the apex; secondary rachises similar to the primary. Pinnules usually 20-25 to a side, subcontiguous, chartaceous, dark green when dry, described by many collectors as having a metallic sheen, somewhat variable in shape, if large ligular, spreading or slightly decurved, not rarely with concave lower margin, 2.5-3 times as long as wide; if smaller similar or rounded-trapeziform, 2-2.5 times as long as wide; largest pinnules seen 35 by 13 mm, but more often about 15-20 by 6-8 mm. Upper margin outward increasingly convex, a distinct outer margin hardly developed. Sterile margin shallowly crenate towards the apex of the pinnule. Upper pinnules in simply pinnate and paueijugate-bipinnate leaves mostly little reduced, few or none denticuliform and confluent with the comparatively large, obliquely hastate, obtuse to acuminate terminal pinnule; in larger, more amply bipinnate leaves not rarely the upper pinnules more strongly reduced, several confluent with the small, basally lobed, lanceolate terminal segment. Veins immersed, evident, rather close, free, mostly twice forked. Sori occupying all vein-ends of a pinnule or not rarely only the inner ones, continuous; indusium pale to dark, entire, 1/4-1/5 mm wide, falling short of the margin by 1-2 times its width, ± reflexed at maturity. Spores pale brownish, trilete, smooth, c. 17 μ.
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