Belongs to the monotypic genus; Subfamily: Coryphoideae; tribe: Borasseae.

Solitary palm, trunk 8-15 m high, smooth, obscurely ringed with scars, sometimes with aerial roots. Leaves 20–24, held upright, fan-shaped. Inflorescences among the leaves, branched to 2 orders. Fruits globose to ovoid; seeds closely adherent to the endocarp.

Satranala is distinguished from all species of the Hyphaeninae subtribe in the seed germination type (Romanov & al., 2011). The seeds of this species are exported to the international horticultural market and its leaves are harvested for thatching (Rakotoarinivo & al., 2020).