Earliest stage as T. clemensiae (not dimidiate as in T. aculeatum), the entire fronds soon sueeeeded by bipinnatifid normal bathyphylls up to 8 by 3.5 cm, with closely-placed pinnae to 15 by 4 mm with almost circular pinnules, texture firm, usually drying light green. Transition bathyphylls to 15 by 6 cm, with up to 20 pairs of pinnae more widely separated than in normal bathyphylls, pinnae to 30 by 4 mm, coriaceous, deeply lobed, lobes c. 2 mm wide, apices rounded, retuse or bilobed. Adult rhizome to 8 mm ø, strongly aculeate, when young densely covered (also young fronds) with small red-brown scales, largest scales seen 7 by 1 mm. Sterile acrophylls to 60 cm long including stipe, with 12 pairs of pinnae; all pinnae stalked (stalks of lowest 10-15 mm), commonly to 15 by 3 cm (largest seen 16 by 6 cm), widest below middle, gradually tapering to apex, base rather broadly and almost equally cuneate, coriaceous, drying light green. Fertile pinnae to 10 by 1 cm, on stalks to 18 mm long; tips of veins not connected by a submarginal vein.
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