This solitary palm grows without a visible trunk, its massive fan-shaped leaves emerging directly from the ground in a dramatic, architectural display. Because it lacks a crownshaft, the leaves appear to burst from a central point, giving it a prehistoric and sculptural presence. Each leaf is enormous, glossy, and undivided—deep green above and a striking silvery underside below—held aloft on long, stiff petioles. Its inflorescence is a short, erect spike held near ground level, bearing tight clusters of small, pale flowers close to the base of the plant. The fruit is round, green to yellowish when ripe, and forms low to the forest floor where it naturally disperses. This species is famously rare in cultivation and highly sought after for its almost surreal foliage. A noteworthy fact: the genus honors Dutch botanist Johannes Elias Teijsmann, while magnifica was named for its truly “magnificent” leaf form.