Liparis hawaiensis is an erect, terrestrial, or sometimes epiphytic perennial herb, ranging in height from 0.5 to 1.5 meters and occasionally up to 3 meters. It is characterized by pseudobulbs that crowd along and obscure the rhizome, with roots emerging in clumps at the base of these pseudobulbs. These are entirely enveloped by one or more ascending, ovate to narrowly ovate cataphylls and by the bases of the petioles, with cataphylls measuring 1–8 cm in length. The leaves are simple, with each pseudobulb typically supporting two leaves. The blades are broadly elliptic to elliptic–ovate or rarely oblong–obovate, measuring 4–10 cm long and 2–5 cm wide, occasionally extending up to 22 cm in length and 8 cm in width. The midrib is impressed on the upper surface and prominently raised on the lower surface, lending a distinct texture to the leaves, which are uniformly pale green and membranous. The leaf margins are entire, with parallel venation, and the leaves are sheathing at the base. Stipules are absent. It produces pale green flowers that are erect and form part of erect, terminal, racemose inflorescences ranging from 6 to 30 cm in length. The peduncles are stout and four-angled. Each flower is bisexual (perfect), featuring a dorsal sepal that is linear–elliptic and 8–10 mm long and lateral sepals that are ascending and linear-lanceolate, measuring 6–10 mm long. The lateral petals are reflexed and linear, spanning 8–10 mm, while the labellum is initially erect before reflexing near the middle, broadly obovate, 10–12 mm long, with an obtuse or slightly retuse apex and irregularly crenulate edges. The plant has a single stamen that forms a column along with the style. The ovary is inferior and 3-carpellate, with the column standing erect at 3.5–4 mm long and constricted near the middle. The fruit is a narrowly obovoid capsule measuring 1.5–2 cm long. It is found on bryophyte-covered trees, under bushes, and on wet or sometimes seasonally wet bare ground, commonly in bogs and mesic to wet forests between 400-1,530 meters and occasionally as high as 2,000 meters.