This is a slender, clustering palm from the dry spiny forests of southwestern Madagascar.  It has tall with thin, ringed trunks with multiple stems in tight groups, each topped with a crownshaft that is pale green to yellowish and relatively short. The crown holds gracefully arching pinnate leaves up to 2.5–3 m long, with narrow leaflets that often display a silvery or gray-green underside, giving the canopy a shimmering look in bright light. Inflorescences are produced below the crownshaft, carrying many small flowers that later ripen into small oval shaped fruit which turn dark at maturity. The species is adapted to arid conditions, with a rugged, fibrous trunk and a somewhat glaucous leaf color that hint at its drought tolerance. Though rare in cultivation, it is valued for its graceful multi-stemmed form and its origin in one of Madagascar’s most unique habitats.