This species is a solitary palm with a thick gray trunk, typically covered with persistent leaf bases. Its crown has large shuttlecock shaped leaves with leaflets that hang perpendicular to the ground. It is common in savanna and in seasonally wet areas in Central America and northern South AmericaThe branched inflorescence has yellow flowers. The fruit turns light brown to orange when fully ripe. As with many species in this genus, it's fruit is harvested for human consumption, either the fruit or the oil that is extracted from it.