Dicksonia smithii Hooker, Sp. Fil. 1: 80. 1844; Culcita formosae (Christ) Maxon; Dennstaedtia formosae Christ; D. leptophylla Hayata.

Plants ca. 2 m tall. Fronds ± clustered; stipe to 100 cm, 20-30 mm in diam., stipe and rachis with dense, short, reddish brown hairs; rachis tea-brown, scabrous, rachillae and rachis concolorous, scabrous, with bilateral brown hairs; lamina 3- or 4-pinnate, to 100 cm, herbaceous, abaxially dark green, with sparse, scattered, transparent, glaucous, articulate, long hairs along veins and rachillae, adaxially brown when dried, with 1 or 2 short setae along rachilla and veins; pinnae many, alternate, 7-9 cm apart, spreading, with stalk ca. 5 mm, broadly lanceolate in outline, ca. 30 × 8-9 cm, broad at base, acuminate at apex, 2-pinnate; pinnules 20-25 pairs, alternate, ca. 2 cm apart, stalk ca. 1.5 mm, 1-pinnate; acroscopic pinnae spreading, broadly lanceolate, 4-6 × 1.8-2 cm, gradually shorter upward, slightly falcate, apex acuminate; basiscopic pinnae somewhat decurrent; ultimate pinnules 8-10 pairs, very shortly stalked to sessile, oblong, 5-8 × 3-5 mm, base asymmetrically cuneate, with decurrent narrow wings, anadromous, almost spreading, margin pinnatifid 1/3-1/2 to midrib or undulate-lobed, apex crenate; lobules entire or with 1 or 2 obtuse teeth. Veins obvious, pinnate furcate, veinlet not reaching margin, with obscure clavate hydathode at apex. Sori orbicular, located near notch of lobule base; indusium brown, bowl-shaped.

"Balantium formosae" (Christ, Geogr. Farne, 155. 1910) is sometimes treated as a synonym of Dennstaedtia formosae within this species, but it is nomen nudum of very uncertain application and not therefore validly published (Melbourne Code, Art. 38.1(a)).

Wet places, often at forest margins in valleys; 400-800 m. Taiwan [Indonesia (Sulawesi), Philippines].