ʻO ka lāʻau pāma he lāʻau evergreen o ka ʻohana Palmaceae, a hiki i 7 mau mika ke kiʻekiʻe, me kahi kumu cylindrical; aneane poepoe na lau, a he creen na petioles ma na aoao elua; ikaika ka inflorescence, dioecious, melemele-'ōmaʻomaʻo, ovoid; ʻO ka hua he ʻano ʻano ʻākea ākea, He kaula ʻo ia, huli mai ka melemele a i ka uliuli ʻulaʻula ke oʻo, he pauda keʻokeʻo, a ʻo ka endosperm o ka hua he ʻoni. ʻO ʻApelila ka wā pua a ʻo ka wā hua ʻo Dekemaba. Makemake kona ʻano i ke ea mehana a me ka haʻahaʻa, ʻoi loa ke anu, ʻoi aku ka malu o ka malu, a ʻo ka huahana i hoʻopau ʻia he maloʻo loa, ʻaʻole hiki ke kū i ka ʻokoʻa wela ma waena o ke ao a me ka pō.
Hāʻawi pololei ʻia ia ma kahi kiʻekiʻe o 300-1500 mika, a hiki ke hiki i 2700 mika ma ke komohana hema. Makemake ke ʻano pāma i kahi ʻano mahana a me ka haʻahaʻa, ʻoi aku ke anuanu a ʻoi aku ka malu o ka malu, a ʻo ka huahana i hoʻopau ʻia he maloʻo loa, akā ʻaʻole hiki ke pale i ka ʻokoʻa nui o ke ao a me ka pō. ʻO Palm ka ʻano pāma me ka laulā ākea a me ka latitu kiʻekiʻe loa ma ka ʻāina. E like me ka mahana a me ke anuanu, e like me ka māmā. Kūleʻa loa ke anu, pale iki i ka malu. He kūpono ia no ka hoʻoheheʻe maikaʻi ʻia, ka ʻū a me ka momona ʻole, ka lepo calcareous a i ʻole ka ʻakika liʻiliʻi, kūpaʻa i ka saline māmā a me ka alkali, a kūpaʻa hoʻi i kekahi maloʻo a me ka wai. ʻO ka hiki ke hoʻohaumia i ka ea. Maʻalahi ka makani, lohi i ka ulu.