This clustering palm grows multiple slender, cane-like stems, each ringed with leaf scars and often leaning slightly for light. It lacks a true crownshaft, but the petioles and leaf bases are tightly wrapped and may have a reddish or brownish hue depending on the population. Its foliage is pinnate and dainty, with narrow, dark green leaflets arranged in a slightly irregular fashion, sometimes with a faint ruffled look. The inflorescences are short and emerge from near the base of the leaves, carrying both male and female flowers. Bright red to orange fruits develop along the short stalks and stand out against the green foliage.
This species was named after Benedetto Scortechini, an Italian botanist who collected plants in Malaysia in the late 19th century.