[1][2] The tribe ranges from southern Africa and Madagascar north through the Arabian Peninsula to India, Indochina, Indonesia and New Guinea.

[3] Borassoid palms typically have large, column-like trunks, though several species of Hyphaene have branching or clustered stems.

All genera in the Borasseae are dioecious, with separate male and female trees; they are pleonanthic, flowering regularly for many years.

Inflorescences are large and pendulous; the male flowers are much smaller than the female and are borne in clusters within catkin-like structures.

In the palms of subtribe Hyphaenieae, both the male and female flowers are sunken within pits and the fruits are stalked and typically one-seeded.

[3] Bismarckia (1 sp., B. nobilis) and Satranala (1 sp., S. decussilvae) are endemic to Madagascar, Medemia (1 sp., M. argun) is restricted to Egypt and Sudan, while Hyphaene (8 spp.