| Field notes | Cespitose. Stem 1 m, 1-1.5 cm diam; dark brown, hard, armed with few spines to 0.5 cm, internodes 3 cm. Leaves 11, erect and arching; sheath open to base, 15 cm, armed with numerous black spines to 1 cm; petiole 22 cm, unarmed, green; rachis 19 cm; blade entire, 41 X 38 cm, deeply bifid at apex, margins lined apically with very small spinules. Inflorescence infrafoliar, recurving; prophyll 8 X 2 cm, cream, very sparsely spinose; peduncular bract 18 X 3 cm, densely armed with black spines to 0.5 cm; peduncle 9 cm, sparsely spinose; rachis 1 cm; rachillae to 2 cm long. |