Stem very short, ellipsoid, rarely over 1 ft. high, 9 in. thick, hardly rising above the soil, closely covered with alternating scales and persistent imbricating leaf-bases clothed with grey cottony tomentum. Leaves 3 1/2–5 1/2 ft. long, 8–10 in. wide above the middle, bright green; petiole and rhachis subcylindric, clothed at first with deciduous grey tomentum; pinnules rather thinly coriaceous, about 80 pairs, linear-lanceolate, very slightly falcate, 5–6 in. long, 1/2– 3/4 in. wide, somewhat unequally attenuated to the base, apex acutely acuminate, pungent, margin with about 4 ascending small teeth along either edge. Male cone peduncled, pale green, narrow cylindric, 5–9 in. long, 2 in. wide; peduncles 4–7 in. long, at first sparsely tomentose, soon glabrous; scales spreading, deltoid, fertile portion 1/2 in. long, not much longer than broad, apex triangular, 3/4 in. across, the lateral angles acute, the lower very obtuse, umbonate. Female cone subsessile, dark olive-green, oblong-ellipsoid, 8–10 in. long, 5 in. wide; apex of scales wide rhomboid, 2 1/4 in. across, 1 1/4 in. deep, lateral angles explanate, upper very obtuse, lower obtuse, umbonate. Seeds ovoid-oblong, faintly angled, 1 1/4 in. long; outer coat crimson.
