Small to moderately tall palm that grows in clusters to 5�7 m, tall, with slender stems less than 15 cm diameter. Leaves are palmate (fan-shaped), with segments joined to each other for about half of their length, and are 1�2 m wide. The leaf petiole is 1�1.2 m long, and has orange, curved, sharp teeth along the edges. The flowers are minute, inconspicuous and greenish. The trunk is covered with fibrous matting. The fruit is pea-sized, starting orange and turning to black at maturity.