Terrestrial. Rhizome thick, ascending or suberect, densely covered with scales; scales c. 2 cm long, up to 2 mm broad, dark brown. Stipes stout, stramineous, or sometimes purplish when young, up to 70 cm long, bearing small auricles (reduced pinnae) throughout, scales at base of stipe stiff, shining dark-brown, up to 2.3 cm by 2.5 mm. Laminae to 100 cm or more long; lateral pinnae many in number, lowest pinnae sessile, narrowly cuneate at base, upper pinnae adnate and decurrent at the base, up to about 40 by 4 cm, rather suddenly narrowed to a short acuminate apex, papyraceous; veins simple or forked usually near costa, distinct on both surfaces, very close, up to 1 mm apart; coriaceous, green, glabrous throughout. Sori narrow, long-continuous along costa; indusia narrow, usually broken before maturity.