Lygodium merrillii Copel.

Rhizome and juvenile fronds not seen. Rachis of scandent fronds to 5 mm diameter, minutely hairy (hairs slender and erect), near base also bearing long dark hairs like those on dormant apices; primary rachis-branches very short, dormant apices prominent, covered with long dark brown hairs; secondary rachis-branches unifoliate and sterile near the base of a frond, upper ones pinnate; unifoliate secondary branches 6-9 cm long, leaflets c. 25 cm long, palmately 5-6-lobed with acute sinuses to within 6 cm of the base, lobes 2.5-4 cm wide, acute and acuminate, shallowly and irregularly crenate-serrate, margin not thickened, veins oblique, anastomosing, with about four rows of elongate areoles between costa and margin, lower surface of lamina and of veins minutely hairy or glabrous; largest upper sterile secondary rachis-branches pinnate, with 2-4 lateral deeply bilobed or palmate leaflets (on stalks to 3 cm long) and a terminal one; fertile secondary rachis-branches pinnate (or the largest bipinnate at the base), in all 30 cm or more long, with 5-7 leaflets which are 2-4-lobed; fertile leaflets 8-10 cm long, lamina of each lobe to 1.5 cm wide, veins anastomosing, stalks 5-15 mm long; sorophores 7-15 mm long, somewhat contracted at base, indusia glabrous or with few pale hairs; spores very coarsely and irregularly verrucose.

In forest, to 600 m altitude.