Thanks for the link, I am not surprised that they are related to palms, the answer is a tree and shrub.

When fresh shoots come out on my one they are soft and silky to the touch, grow into thorns and rip your flesh once they get a bit older. Why people poach them annoys me endlessly, when I bought there were no laws, but I would never take one from the wild, makes no sense.

The Cycas you can grow without permits or license and I have those for a later post, also very pretty.