Angiopteris evecta

Angiopteris evecta.

The Giant fern is in Family Marattiaceae.
There are 4 genera including Angiopteris and the only one of its about 200 species
    found in Australia is Angiopteris evecta.

The thick, erect, woody trunk (rhizome) is often 1-2 m high but can grow up to 80 m.
Older leaves fall off but their bases persist and largely hide the trunk.

The clustered fronds form a rosette at the top of the trunk.
Fronds are arching, dark green, glossy and up to 5 m or more long, including the
    stalk which can be up to two thirds of the length.
The smooth, green stalks have a swollen base with 2 large bracts.

Fronds are bipinnate (sometimes pinnate) and can be up to 2.5 m wide.
The first divisions are alternate.
The second divisions are opposite or nearly so but may become alternate near the tip.

The large, linear leaflets are on a very short stalk with a swollen base
The leaflet edges are finely toothed.

The base may be oblique (unequal).
There is a prominent central vein or midrib.

Clusters of up to 6 pairs of sori lie on the marginal veins close to the leaflet edge.
There are 10 to 15 fairly large sporangia in each sorus.
There is no indusium but there are branched hairs.

J.F.