Coccothrinax is a genus of small to medium-sized, fan palms with relatively slender stems and 8 to 22 palmate leaves. The stems are initially covered by fibrous leaf sheaths.
These break down into a network of fibres or spines, eventually leaving a bare trunk covered with leaf scars. The undersides of the leaflets are often silvery-grey; this is reflected in the common name "silver palm", which is given to many species of Coccothrinax.