Plants caulescent; stem 0-0.6 m tall, 40-70 cm diam.; 30-100 leaves in crown. Leaves 160-340 cm long, flat (not keeled) in section, with 120-200 pinnae, dark green, highly glossy; petiole 45-65 cm long, 12-18 mm wide at lowest pinna. Basal pinnae reducing to spines. Median pinnae simple, 27-38 cm long, 7-12 mm wide, strongly discolorous; margins flat; apex entire, spinescent. Pollen cones not seen. Seed cones narrowly ovoid, 40-50 cm long, 15-18 cm diam.; megasporophyll with an expanded, peltate apex 55-60 mm wide and 25-30 mm long; apical spine 5-28 mm long. Seeds oblong, 36-40 mm long, 24-27 mm wide; sarcotesta orange-red.