Hiya distans

Detailed description

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, dark brown, ± smooth.