Slender erect tree sometimes to 12 or 13 m. but in forests often seen in much shorter stature, diameter of trunk above the enlarged base perhaps 8-10 cm.; root-thorns often 16 cm. and more long, deflexed but usually upwardly curved, passing into regular roots near the ground: leaves soft, 2 m. or more across, palmate, light green on upper surface, silvery and closely pubescent under a lens on lower surface; petiole slender, 2 m. or less long; hastula short, triangular-conic and blunt; main segments extending nearly to base-of blade and 1 m. or so long, 2-7 cm. broad: spadix downward-curved, densely flowered, 60-70 cm. long, branching at nodes, the creamy-white long-acuminate nodifronds covering lower part of spadix-branches: flowers about 4 mm. long when open, nearly globular, crowned with the deflexed elongated anthers: fruit oblong-pyriform or only shortly narrowed at base, 3 cm. or less long, about 15 mm. thick, smooth and lucid.
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