Sharp hooks on the plant can snag the clothing of walkers in these forests, giving rise to the name "wait-a-while".

C. muelleri is a clustering, climbing palm growing up to 20 m (66 ft) in length, with thin stems up to 16 mm (0.63 in) diameter.

The leaflets have spines along the midrib on the upper surface and small sharp spurs on their margins.

[4][5][6] This species, like others in the genus, produces a modified sterile inflorescence (known as a flagellum)[7] up to 1.2 m (3 ft 11 in) long,[4][6] which is armed with dozens of strong, recurved barbs that act like grappling hooks to latch on to nearby vegetation and provide support for the plant.

[4][5][6] The southern lawyer cane was first described by the German botanist and noted authority on Arecaceae Hermann Wendland, based on specimens collected by Hermann Beckler and others on the Brisbane River and Moreton Bay in Queensland and on the Clarence and Richmond Rivers in New South Wales.