This is a solitary palm with a massive gray trunk.  The crown is composed of huge fan-shaped leaves, typically 2–3 meters wide, with stiff, dark green segments radiating from a strongly curved petiole armed with black teeth. Its inflorescences emerge from among the leaves, with separate male and female plants; male flowers are small and clustered, while female flowers are large and globular. The fruits are large, round drupes that ripen to yellow-brown and contain several seeds. What makes this species remarkable is that it is the only species of the genus native to a humid rainforest habitat, unlike its African and Asian relatives that prefer dry savannas.