Rhizome 5-10 mm thick, internodes to 1-4 cm long; vascular strands with bundle sheath absent to hyaline; sclerenchyma strands very many. Rhizome scales peltate, spreading to squarrose, 7-23 by 1-2.5 mm, acute to contracted to a narrow, often recurved acumen, brown and evenly coloured to blackish with a dark central pseudocosta and a lighter margin (margin often absent in the subulate acumen); margin strongly dentate to long-ciliate, cilia often also present on the exposed parts of the surface. Fronds pinnate, monomorphic to slightly (internally) dimorphic. Fertile fronds with 2-18 pairs of pinnae and a conform terminal pinna; stipe 10-51 cm long; lamina 26-83 cm long; largest fertile pinna is 1st or 2nd from base, stalk 0.3-1.0 cm, blade 11-31 by 0.4-2.5(-7) cm, cusp 1.3-7 cm, widest at 3.5-11 cm, with 1-7 rows of closed areoles. Sterile fronds with up to 9 pairs of pinnae; lamina 19-40 cm long (or longer); largest sterile pinna 9.5-22 by 0.3-4.3 cm. Venation: main veins on upper surface raised, distinct, often veinlets distinct as well, veinlets free or anastomosing, free veinlets in the areoles excurrent and recurrent, a distinct row of excurrent marginal veinlets present. Hydathodes frequent (especially on the marginal veinlets), with persistent calcareous scales. Margin cartilaginous, flat to (sometimes) thickened, without notches, but sometimes crenate. Sori round (sometimes slightly elongated towards margin), in one row between adjacent veins, in one row between costa and margin, at 1-6(-13) mm from the costa, 1.5-4 mm wide, superficial to slightly sunken.
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