Caudex short, erect, bearing a close tuft of stipes and many strong roots; stipe to 20 cm long, ± flushed with red, sometimes very dark, its basal scales flaccid, to 7 × 1 mm; lamina of young plants 3-5-lobed, of mature plants with 2 pairs of pinnae and a simple or trilobed apical lamina, not or little dimorphous; apical lamina, if simple, commonly 12 × 3 cm (to 17 × 6 cm), acuminate, margins entire or ± sinuous, a bud present on the upper surface near middle of the costa, if trilobed broadly cuneate at its base; basal pinnae commonly to 10 × 2 cm (to 17 × 2 cm), acuminate, with a narrower basiscopic lobe, on largest fronds the basiscopic lobe almost free and a small acroscopic lobe present also; main veins 6-7 mm apart along the costa, at 45°, sinuous, hardly prominent, smaller veins very slender but distinct; lower surface of costae sparsely short-hairy, upper surface densely; sori small, irregularly scattered, often ± elongate and confluent, usually on free branched veinlets in areoles, indusia very small, apparently lacking in some sori.
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