The name
Cycas inermis, meaning "unarmed", may be confusing because spines, albeit very small ones, are present on the petiole. The trunk of this cycad is erect with growth rings (see illustration): it is up to 1.5–4 m high and with a diameter of 80–140 mm. The fronds are pinnate, 2.2–3 m, surrounding the crown at the apex of the stem, with a long
petiole 650–800 mm; each rachis is composed of 130-230 pairs of lanceolate
leaflets, with an entire and toothed margin, on average, 290–350 mm long, dark green, placed on the spine at an angle of 60-80°. It is a
dioecious species with male specimens that have
microspores dispersed from cones of ovoid shaped terminals, 120 mm long and 80 mm wide. Female specimens bear
megaspores that are found in large numbers in the upper part of the stem, with the appearance of pinnate leaves that enclose the ovules, in clumps of 4. The seeds are oblong, 50–60 mm long, coated with an orange-brown tegument when ripe. The
megasporophyll is a defining feature, with laminae which
de Louriero described as "laciniate" (fringed with lateral narrow pointed lobes). ==Distribution and habitat==