This is a compact, elegant solitary, sometimes clustering palm. One of its standout features is the new growth, with fresh leaves emerging in rich maroon tones before slowly settling into green as they harden off. The smooth, slender trunk is topped by a clean green crownshaft. The leaves themselves are pinnate, but the leaflets have a distinctly fishtail-like shape, especially when the palm is young, giving it a look you don’t see on most feather palms. Flower clusters appear just below the crownshaft and develop into soft, rounded fruit that ripen to black, another uncommon and striking trait for this genus. Because it remains rare in cultivation, it is still best known from specialty collections rather than everyday landscapes.