This rare Licuala forms slender, clustering stems that send up graceful leaves rather than the classic round fans most people expect from the genus. The leaves rise directly from the canes, with petioles that can bear spines. The crown is composed of long, arching, bifid fronds that split in two at the tip, creating a delicate, straplike effect unlike many of its relatives. Inflorescences emerge among the leaves from spiny sheaths, and while seldom seen in cultivation, they produce the small scaly fruits typical of Licuala species. Because this palm is known only from a handful of private collections, it remains a true collector’s prize and is believed to originate from New Guinea.