Tree up to 30 m in height, evergreen, dioecious, with slender, straight, fibrous trunk, covered with grey remains of the base of the old leaves that have fallen. Leaves appear directly at the end of the stem. Leaves very large (2.5-6 m long), pinnate, with a rachis very enlarged and almost lignified at the base, with numerous “leaflets” or linear segments of 20-40 cm long, folded lengthwise with the edge downwards, forming a kind of channel. Basal leaflets are shorter, rigid, subcylindrical and prickly. Inflorescences very large, ramose, pendant, protected by large, elongated and hardened bracts (spathe). Flowers unisexual, yellowish, with 3 lanceolate sepals and 3 petals twice in length, \u00b1 oval. Male flowers with 6 stamens and female flowers with 3 free carpels, of which 2 will abort and the 3rd will give rise to the fruit. Fruit an oblong drupe (2.5-6 cm long), yellowish at first, then dark brown-red when ripe. Seed oblong, blackish, with a pronounced longitudinal groove.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-11862","species","type-species","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n