This palm also grows in northwest Madagascar, the Comoros and Jaffna.

[3][4] The typical form of Borassus aethiopum is a solitary palm to 25 metres (82 feet) in height and 1 m (3.3 ft) in diameter at the base.

In the river bottoms (floodplains) of many East African rivers (the Rufiji in Tanzania and the Tana in Kenya among others) a closely related form can be up to 7 ft (2.1 m) thick at breast height (4 ft or 1.2 m above ground) and having the same thickness in its upper ventricosity.

In male plants, the small flowers are largely concealed within the scaly catkins; the much larger female flowers reach two centimetres (0.79 inches) wide and produce yellow to brown fruits.

The tree has many uses: the fruit are edible, as are the tender roots produced by the young plant;[9] fibres can be obtained from the leaves; and the wood (which is reputed to be termite-proof) can be used in construction.