Icacinicarya elegans was an early Eocene icacinaceous plant known from the hard inner stone of its fruit. That endocarp formed a protective wall around the seed, but no leaves, stems or other attached organs are known, so the size, shape and growth habit of the whole plant cannot be reconstructed.

The original fossil material is no longer available for modern re-examination, making this species unusually dependent on the historic description and figures. Those records show an oblong to subovate fruit stone with distinctive structures near the apex. Modern work continues to recognise the species within Icacinaceae, but its more precise living relationship remains uncertain.