A very small palm, for the genus. This solitary palm from the rocky highlands of Minas Gerais, Brazil, develops a slender gray trunk topped with a small, upright crown of stiff, bluish-gray pinnate leaves that give the species its name. The trunk is neatly ringed with the scars of old leaf bases, giving it a smooth, patterned appearance. Its gracefully arching inflorescences emerge among the leaves and carry small, creamy flowers that later produce rounded orange-brown fruits containing single seeds. In the wild, it grows on sun-baked slopes and in shallow soils over stone, which has shaped its slow, compact growth habit. Rare in cultivation and highly sought after by collectors, this species is admired for its steely coloration and rugged, sculptural beauty.