A plant such as the chrysalidocarpus is directly related to the areca family. This palm is quite common and can be found in Madagascar and the Comoros. The genus was so named because of the light yellow color of the fruit.
Such a palm can be either a multi-branched shrub or a single-branched palm. It can reach a height of up to 9 meters. Its upright, non-branched stems are either pubescent or smooth. There are some shoots which are swollen in rings and may have lateral scions, which together form a group. Periostomes have 40 to 60 pairs of lanceolate leaves, which are dissected at the tips. The leaflets are located at the top of the shoots on thin stalks. There are species that grow root leaves near the stem and blend into the overall crown. This plant comes in both bipedal and monoecious forms.