Aiphanes acaulis is a spiny palm endemic to western Colombia.

It is acaulescent, as the specific epithet "acaulis" implies, – that is, the stem is short to the extent that it is difficult to see at all, and mostly subterranean.

Aiphanes acaulis is known from two small populations in the Chocó Department in western Colombia.

It is found at wet lowland to premontane forest at an elevation of 150–700 m (500–2300') above sea level.

Based on floral and pollen characters, the two species do not appear to the closely related.