A small palm. The trunk is slender and it grows about 2 m tall. It has a single trunk but forms clusters in the wild. The trunk is 10 cm across. It is covered with old leaf bases. The fronds are dark green and arch over. They form a feathery crown. The lower ones hang down. They are about 1.5 m long. The leaves are spiny. The leaflets are narrow and shiny green. They are evenly spaced and hang down. Plants are separately male and female. Both are needed for fruit. The flower stalks are produced among the leaves. The flowers are creamy yellow. The fruit are 12 mm long. The fruit are edible. They have a thin layer of edible flesh.