Rhizome stout, ascending, branched, sts forming a caudex up to 15 dm. tall, densely clad in paleae up to 2 cm. or more long; stipites numerous, densely tufted. Stipes stout, us. densely paleate, 15-45 cm. × 5-10 mm. dark to pale brown. Paleae of diverse shape, us. on different plants: ovate-to lanceolate-attenuate, sts laciniate; pale brown to almost black, with or without a paler margin, spreading, mingled with linear paleae and slender hairs. Rhachis stout, grooved, paleate and hairy, with numerous us. close-set pinnae. Lamina 30-75-(100) × 104-25 cm., about oblong-lanceolate, dark green above, paler below, rather harsh, bipinnate. Larger pinnae 5-12 cm. × 15-25 mm., lanceolate-oblong, acute to acuminate; costa grooved, ± paleate and hairy. Pinnules us. close-set, very shortly stalked, up to 15 mm. long, ovate-oblong to subrhomboid. Toothing diverse on different plants: deeply toothed, teeth aristate; lower teeth acute to obtuse; all teeth obtuse. Sori in two rows, || and near mid-vein, up to 8 per pinnule, c. 0·5-1 mm. diam.; indusium small, flat.
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Rhizomes short, erect, sometimes forming a stout trunk. Stipes and rachises densely scaly; scales broad, with shiny dark brown centres and pale borders. Laminae narrowly elliptic or narrowly oblong, 2-pinnate, 20-100 × 6-25 cm. Primary pinnae in 25-60 pairs, ± narrowly oblong, the longest 3-15 × 1-2.5 cm. Secondary pinnae in 10-20 pairs, ± elliptic with basal acroscopic lobe, to 22 × 13 mm, shallowly incised in smaller fronds, deeply incised in larger fronds; apices sharply pointed. Sori round, protected by uniformly pale brown peltate indusia.
A large tufted fern. It can grow in clumps 2 m across. It is coarse and prickly. The fronds grow 30-100 cm long. They are covered with harsh black-brown scales.
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