This species originated as an understorey plant from the rainforests of Cameroon in tropical west Africa, although some literature state that it came from Congo. It is an herbaceous, evergreen, shrubby plant that grows to 2 meters tall and forms a clump by producing suckers. The stems are slender while the strap-shaped, sheathed leaves are flexible and arranged in a spiral.
Tall plants are prone to bend when there is heavy rainfall or strong winds due to the top heavy foliage. Without anchor or support, containerized plants may topple down. It is seldom seen flowering because it is often cut to a desirable height of less than 1.5 meters which prevents the plant from maturing to flowering stage. Nevertheless, it produces an inflorescence called a panicle under Philippine conditions.
