Solitary feather-leafed palm to 18 m tall, often shorter in cultivation, c. 60 cm diameter. Leaves 4.5 m long, erect but gently arching near their ends, leaflets irregularly arranged in clusters and spread in several planes. Male and female inflorescences are produced on different shoots but on the same palm in between leaves. Fruits produced in dense bunch, up to 5 cm long, ovoid, black to red.