Hiya distans

Features

Rhizome long-creeping, 1.0–2.25 mm diam., abundantly covered in dark red-brown hairs 2.0–3.5 mm long, giving rise to stipes at intervals of 30–70 mm. Stipes 50–500(–600) mm long, 0.75–1.25 mm diam., dark red-brown, bearing a few scattered red-brown hairs at base. Laminae narrowly elliptic to elliptic or ovate, (150–)250–600(–950) × 90–300(–400) mm, rather stiff and harsh to the touch, bipinnate at apex to almost tripinnate at base (truly tripinnate in largest specimens). Rachis dark red-brown becoming paler only at the very apex, bearing scattered pale brown hairs. Primary pinnae in 20–40 pairs (more in very large specimens), opposite or subopposite arising at c.90° to rachis, the longest at or below middle 50–200 × 17–60 mm; lowest pinnae (20–)40–120(–200) mm apart, middle pinnae (10–)20–50(–60) mm apart, narrowly ovate or triangular, midrib narrowly winged throughout; lowest pair orientated at 90° to plane of frond in largest specimens. Secondary pinnae sessile or shortly stalked, ovate to narrowly ovate, longest 8–30(–40) × 4–7(–10) mm, doubly serrate with 3–9 primary serrations on each side of longest secondary pinna (divided to the midrib in tripinnate forms); those on lower primary pinnae ± equal in length, only decreasing in size towards the very apex of each pinna. Veins reaching margin at a sinus (emarginate). Hairs virtually absent on upper surface of frond, a few scattered pale-brown non-glandular hairs on underside of costae and midribs. Sori in 2-8 pairs on longest secondary pinnae, marginal, terminating veins on sides of ultimate segments, protected by reflexed, incised membranous flaps. Spores dark brown, ± smooth.