Licuala modesta Becc.

Medium-sized palm, solitary to caespitose with 1–3 dominant stems up to 3 m tall. Stem 2–3 cm diam. with numerous suckers at base. Leaf sheath 10–20 cm long; up to 120 cm long, armed basally with narrowly triangular spines, spreading to reflexed, up to 0.5 cm long; lamina divided in a variable number of segments, 7–22, these equal-sized with 3–5 adaxial ribs in many-segmented leaves to mid segment largest with 8–18 adaxial ribs in few-segmented leaves; mid segment 25–32 cm long; indentations leading to the adaxial folds c. 2 cm long on mid segment, to 3 cm long on remaining segments. Inflorescence 22–57 cm long, with 1–5 partial inflorescences; peduncle 21–41 cm long; prophyll to c. 25 cm long; peduncular bracts lacking; rachis bracts chartaceous, splitting deeply to 17 cm on basal ones, mouth loosely sheathing; partial inflorescences often branching near the mouth of the rachis bract, with 1–4 rachillae; rachillae 7–14 cm long. Flowers solitary or gathered in cincinni of 2–3, on up to 0.5 mm, hairy stalks; calyx cylindrical with a slight constriction just above base, 2.5–3 mm long, wide and flattened basally, apex truncate to irregularly lobed, covered with scattered to dense coarse tawny golden brown hairs; corolla 4.5–5 mm long, densely covered with fine adpressed golden brown simple hairs, lobes 2.5–3.5 mm long; androecium with c. 0.5 mm high staminal ring; filaments filiform with triangular base, 0.5–1 mm long, anthers reniform, c. 0.8 mm long; ovary glabrous, cylindrical with rounded apex, c. 2 mm long; style filiform, 1.2 mm long. Fruit globose, c. 0.9 cm diam.