Japan Flora: Rhizomes short-creeping, densely scaly, knotty, covered with the basal stubs of old stipes; stipes 30-60 cm. long, straw- colored or pale green, rather densely scaly; scales on stipe and rachis tardily deciduous, broadly linear, 2-8 mm. long, less than 1 mm. wide, gradually narrowed to a filiform tip, ciliate at base, black-brown; blades broadly ovate, 25-40 cm. long, 15-25 cm. wide, pinnate, the lowest pinnae with elon­gate pinnate branches longer on posterior than on anterior side, the terminal pinna coriaceous, linear-lanceolate, 15-25 cm. long, abruptly contracted at tip, acuminate, short-petiolu- late, dark green and lustrous above, paler beneath; pinnae 2-5 pairs, gradually acuminate, short-petiolulate; pinnules oblong- ovate, 1-2.5 cm. long, oblique, obscurely auricled on anterior side, obtuse, spine-tipped and -toothed, sometimes lobulate, glabrate on both sides; sori median, in 2 rows on the pinnules; indusia orbicular-reniform, crenulate, about 1 mm. across.   

Honshu (Kanto Distr. and westw.), Shikoku, Kyushu. China.

var. major (Tagawa) Ohwi. Terminal pinna lanceolate-deltoid, broadened at base, gradually merging into the upper lateral pinnae. Honshu (Kanto Distr. and westw.), Shikoku, Kyu­shu.