Palms in this genus usually have solitary stems; clustered stems are less common, and a few are
stolon-like subterranean. The stems are normally spineless, but some species have spiny leaf sheaths or spines. Those species that have upright trunks grow tall with stems that are in diameter. The leaves of all but one species,
S. smithii, are
pinnately compound.
Leaf sheaths are split along their entire length, and consequently,
crownshafts are not present in this genus. The transition from the leaf sheath to the
petiole can be gradual and difficult to identify, but in species where they can be distinguished, leaf sheaths are long and the petioles are . The
inflorescences are unbranched or branch once; a single hybrid,
S. ×
lacerdamourae, occasionally shows second-order branching, and emerge from between the leaves. They are
monoecious, with both male and female flowers borne in the same inflorescence. The fruit are drupes, which vary in colour from green to orange to brown. They range in size from in length, and in diameter. ==Taxonomy==