Solitary or clustering, moderate to large palms. Stems erect, smooth; leaf scars annular. Leaves paripinnate; leaf sheaths tubular, forming a crownshaft. Pinnae reduplicate, regularly or irregularly arranged or grouped, linear to cuneate, apically truncate and praemorse or acuminate or acute. Inflorescence infrafoliar, paniculate, broomlike with branches ±parallel, branched to 1 or 2 orders, or spicate (not in Australia); peduncle short; rachillae straight or flexuose. Flowers opposite or decussate, with triads proximal and solitary or paired staminate flowers distal, white to cream-yellow, or pink or light brown (not in Australia). Staminate flowers asymmetric; sepals triangular; petals 4–5 times longer than sepals, triangular, acuminate, fleshy; stamens 6 or numerous–24 (not in Australia); filaments short; anthers elongate, basifixed; pistillode short or lacking. Pistillate flowers globose or conical. Fruit ellipsoid, ovoid, cylindric or globose, red or grey, or purple or maroon (not in Australia); stigmatic remains apical; epicarp smooth or pebbled, drying ridged; mesocarp thin, fleshy or dry; endocarp thin or crustose. Seed ellipsoid, ovoid or globose; hilum elongate; raphe branches anastomosing; endosperm homogeneous or ruminate (not in Australia); embryo basal. Eophyll bifid.
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