Small tree to 5 (–8) m high (usually flowers and fruits as a shrub), usually unbranched and palm-like. Leaves alternate, compound, c. 90–120 cm long, petiole swollen at base and clasping the stem; leaflets (9–) 15–37 (–43), very reduced and scale-like near the base but increasing in size upwards until the maximum size is attained towards apex of the leaf rachis, ovate to narrowly ovate or elliptic, 6–26 cm long, 2–12 cm wide, broadly attenuate to obtuse or truncate at base, entire margin, acute to acuminate at apex, membranous, glabrous; petiolules to 1 cm long. Inflorescence an axillary, terminal or ramiflorous panicle, pendulous, 50–110 cm long, smooth, the secondary axes (10–) 30–70 (often several borne together in a pseudoverticil), 7–40 cm long, with a terminal umbellule of bisexual (hermaphrodite) flowers and numerous lateral umbellules of bisexual or male (staminate) flowers, the umbellules with c. 20–40 flowers. Calyx lobes 0.6–1.2 mm long. Petals 5, 2.5–3.2 mm long, rose-pink, red or purple. Staminal filaments c. 2–3 mm long. Fruit ovoid to ± obloid or obloid-ellipdsoid, c. 15–25 mm long, c. 14 mm wide, iridescent or metallic blue or purple, surface finely ruminate when dry, 2-seeded. For more detailed description see Lowry II (1986: 186).
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