This is a slender, clustering palm that forms elegant clumps of thin, ringed trunks, typically remaining relatively compact in stature. It does not produce a crownshaft, and the leaf bases dry and shed cleanly from the stems. The crown holds gracefully arching pinnate fronds with narrow, evenly spaced leaflets that give the palm a refined, almost bamboo-like texture. Its inflorescences emerge among the leaves and bear small, cream-colored flowers followed by rounded fruits that ripen from green to darker shades. This species is appreciated in cultivation for its tidy form and suitability to smaller tropical gardens.