[2] The older name Polyandrococos combines the Greek words for "many" and "anther" with the name of another palm genus Cocos, and the epithet is Latin for "bearlike", referring to the hairy tomentum.

The petiole is short, deeply channeled, flattened below, with armed margins and similar tomentum; the rachis is slightly arched, leaflets regular or grouped, in one or several planes with one fold.

The lower half of the length of the rachis is covered in triads while the top has pairs of staminate flowers which shed early, leaving the inflorescence tip bare at antithesis.

The stamens are numerous, from 60 to 100, irregularly inserted, with cylindrical, elongated, flexible filaments which are bent and twisted, occasionally joined, apiculate, and dorsifixed a third of their length.

The staminodes are united in an irregular ring, the gynoecium is triocular, triovulate with short trifid stigmas and laterally attached ovules.