Trunk 2.5-7 m long, uniformly thickened, older part of the stem greyish-white, internodes 8.5-12.5 cm long. Leaves 90-120 cm long, pinnately divided into 20-28 leaflets on each side. Leaflets smooth, glabrous, coriaceous, flat, green, unarmed, 5-7.5 x 25-40 cm, terminal leaflet absent, pinnae toothed at the apex, like a fish tail. Leaf sheaths forming a distinct crown shaft, c. 45 cm long, unarmed, smooth, pale green. Bracts 8.75-12.5 cm long, triangular, brownish green. Petiole 10-15 cm long, smooth, unarmed, concavo-convex. Inflorescence arising from the node near the base of crown shaft. Flowers white. Male flowers: sepals 3, much smaller than the petals, imbricate, coriaceous, smooth, glabrous, forming a cup like structure; petals 3-lobed, coriaceous, green, c. 0.7 cm long. Stamens 22, filaments unequal, 3.5-6 mm long, anthers versatile, apex of which is curved, having a drop of nectar. Ovary 3-carpelled. Fruits densely packed on the hanging arching spikes, dark orange, ellipsoid with a small terminal beak, 0.8 cm long. Seeds hard.

Fl. Per.: February.

Type: Probably described from New Guinea.

Distribution: Native of New Guinea and Australia. It is rarely cultivated in Pakistan as an ornamental plant.