Trunk erect, to 15 m tall, 15–40 cm diam. at base. Fronds 2–4 m long. Stipe to 80 cm long, coarse, brown, shiny, with numerous small, sharp, conical tubercles; scales (at base) tapering, 1.5–5 cm long, coarse, glossy-brown, almost opaque, with fragile edges when young and each with a dark red seta at tip. Lamina subtriangular, 3-pinnate with lowest pinna-pair slightly shorter than rest, mid-green, paler underneath; primary and secondary pinnae oblong-lanceolate to narrowly oblong with acute to acuminate tips; lower surface of rachises with various scattered scales; those of ultimate rachises and midveins of pinnules, small, ovate, markedly inflated with hair-like tips or setae; upper surface of rachises with fine hairs. Pinnules attached by full breadth, decurrent, margins slightly crenulate to shallowly toothed. Sori with globular, hairy receptacle; indusia inconspicuous, consisting of a few, fringed scales at base of each receptacle.