This is a diminutive, solitary understory palm native to rainforests and prized by collectors for its unusual foliage and exceptionally compact habit. Its most distinctive feature is its bifid leaves, which are heavily corrugated and display an attractive dark blue-green to gray-green coloration with a thick, almost leathery texture. The broad leaves develop prominent pleating and serrated margins, giving this tiny palm a surprisingly bold and sculptural appearance. Growing naturally beneath the forest canopy, this species remains small and is adapted to the shaded, humid conditions characteristic of its tropical rainforest habitat. The inflorescence emerges from within the leaves and has small green to yellowish flowers, with male and female flowers produced on separate plants. On female specimens, the flower stalks become an attractive orange as the fruit develops, contrasting with small spherical to ellipsoid fruits that mature to black. Rare in cultivation and particularly well suited to shaded tropical gardens or container culture, this distinctive species is an excellent example of the remarkable diversity found within the genus.

Chamaedorea sullivaniorum is currently treated by Kew's Plants of the World Online as a synonym of Chamaedorea pumila, although some palm taxonomists have supported its recognition as a distinct species.