Infl. below lvs, shortly stalked, much and densely branched, enclosed within 2 caducous, boat-shaped spathes of nearly equal size, the outer 2-winged; branches thick, divided several times, the ultimate divisions long and closely and deeply notched to accommodate sessile glomerules each of 2–3 fls subtended by a short bract. Fls unisexual, one ♀ between two ♂, or distally the ♀ aborting leaving two ♂ together. ♂ asymmetric, soon falling; sepals much narrower than obliquely ovate petals; stamens 6, filaments slender, inflexed at apex, anthers versatile; ovary narrow, ± columnar. ♀ smaller, globose-ovoid; sepals and petals broad; staminodes minute; ovary ovoid, 1-locular; stigmas terminal, recurved, ± persistent. Fr. symmetric, seated on chaffy per-remains; pericarp thin, fibrous within. Seed hard; hilum conspicuous, running from apical chalaza down to base. Trunk typically unbranched, not tapering, marked with lf-scars; conspicuous "crownshaft" formed by very large sheathing lf-bases; lvs in adult rather sharply ascending in "feather-duster" shape. Lvs regularly pinnate, without spines, axis clad in peltate scales, the pinnae subopp. and reduplicately inserted on axis (A-shaped in T.S.); each pinna long, narrow-lanceolate, acuminate, bearing peltate scales when young, midrib and us. one pair of lateral nerves prominent adaxially, margin not thickened; seedling lvs broad, 2-lobed. Three spp., one confined to N.Z. proper, one to Kermadec Is and one to Norfolk Id.
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Pinnate leaved palms. Crownshaft distinct, compact; leaf base and sheath distinct. Inflorescence arising below crownshaft, paniculate, notched; prophyll tubular, with lateral keels; bract similar to prophyll but not keeled. Flowers sessile, in triads of 2 staminate flowers with 1 pistillate between, or staminate flowers paired basally on rachis and solitary distally, subtended by a small bract. Sepals 3, basally imbricate but valvate at apex. Petals 3. Male flowers: stamens 6, with anthers versatile; ovary rudimentary. Female flowers: staminodes very small; ovary ovoid; stigma short, trifid, persistent. Fruit a globular-ovoid drupe.
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