Diplopterygium glaucum

Description

Rhizome brown, 1-2.5 mm. in diam., creeping, with long-spined dark-brown scales up to 0.5 mm. in diam. (including spines), with fronds spaced 2-20 cm. apart. Stipe castaneous, up to 60 cm. long and up to 1.5 mm. in diam., glabrous or with a few scales similar to those on the rhizome, shallowly sulcate. Frond bifurcate to reniform-lunate in outline, with 1 (rarely 2) level of false dichotomy in each lateral branch system arising from each side of the terminal bud; all branches bearing distant foliar segments. Aborted apical buds up to 1.2 mm. long, clothed in dark-brown lanceolate laciniate scales (sometimes with black spines). Pinnules (foliar segments) linear, up to 7 x 0.75 cm., pinnate, usually glabrous (but sometimes set with brown laciniate scales), divided into sessile rounded entire triangular lobes, 3 x 2 mm., green to glaucous below. Sori partially immersed in the lamina, consisting of 2-4 sporangia, each in a separate but adjoining pit.