Climbing palm with glabrous stems to 15m. Leaves to 3m long with 25-40 leaflets to 1500mm long terminating in a spine &armed with recurved spines on lower surface, 10-22 leaflets each side, leaflets to 430mm x 90mm, leaf axis & leaf sheath with spines to 40mm x 25mm & brsitly margins. Cirrus 2m long with grapnel spines. Pistillate inflorescence to 2m long with rachillae to 95mm x 2mm & bracts to 2mm x 2mm. Male panicle of spikes, green outer tepals with 3 lobes 2mm long, inner tepals 2mm long. Female raceme of spikes, female flowers 3.5mm x 2mm outer tepals to 2.3.mm long with lobes 0.8mm x 1mm, corolla to 2.7mm x 1.7mm with 3 lobes to 0.9mm x 1.2mm. White fruit 11mm x 0.5mm including 1.5mm beak, with cream diamond shaped surface of overlapping scales.
Cordage, medicinal uses