Plants moderate, clusteringed palms. Stems caespitose, erect, slender, less than 15 cm diam. Leaves: sheath fibers soft, eventually sloughing off to reveal smooth to fissured stem; petiole not split at base, armed with stout teeth, occasionally obscurely armed with minute teeth; abaxial hastula absent; adaxial hastula conspicuous, acute to acuminate; costa minute to absent; blade palmate; plication induplicate; segments lanceolate, stiff, basally connate. Inflorescences axillary within crown of leaves, paniculate, arching, longer than leaves, with 3(--4) orders of branching; prophyll short; peduncular bracts 2, tubular, 2-keeled, long; rachillae pendulous, pubescent. Flowers bisexual, borne singly or in clusters of 2--3 along rachillae, sessile; perianth 2-seriate; sepals 3, imbricate, briefly connate, margins ciliate; petals 3, basally connate, valvate, triangular with adaxial crest; stamens 6, filaments basally connate, acuminate; anthers dorsifixed, versatile; dehiscence latrorse-introrse; pistils 3(--4), distinct basally, glabrous; styles connate, filiform; stigmas minute. Fruits globose, stigmatic scar apical; exocarp blackish, smooth, slightly rugose when dry; mesocarp thin, fleshy; endocarp membranaceous. Seeds 1 per fruit, globose, with circular raphe; endosperm bony, homogeneous; embryo nearly basal; eophyll undivided, lanceolate. xn = 18.
Acoelorraphe is a widespread monotypic genus. The taxa A. wrightii forma inermis Hadacč and A. wrightii var. novo-geronensis Beccari probably have no biological significance.
Recent molecular studies indicated that Serenoa is the sister genus to Acoelorraphe (N. W. Uhl et al. 1995).
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [MG-70-19-0057-19].