Trunk to 30 m tall, 30–60 cm diam., grey; base with prominent petiole stubs, smooth above. Leaves 35–55 in a dense globular crown; petiole 165–230 cm long, 4–10 cm wide, with hard black marginal thorns mainly at base; leaf blade orbicular, 130–175 cm diam., coriaceous, glossy grey-green adaxially, glabrous and dull grey to glaucous abaxially, divided for 1/2 its length; segments 52–58, with distal segments usually not overlapping; drooping distally, deeply bifurcate, with acuminate-attenuate lobes. Inflorescence 260–300 cm long, branched to 5 orders; bracts with scattered long scales, becoming glabrous with age; rachillae glabrous. Flowers solitary or in sympodial clusters of 2–6, globose, angular in bud, cream; sepals broadly ovate, c. 1.2 mm long, acute, thin; petals triangular, 1.4–1.5 mm long, obtuse; stamens c. 0.9 mm long. Fruit globose, 11–14 mm diam., purple-black. Seed globose, 7–11 mm long.
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