 Spores are contained in small box-like structures on the underside of the leaf until ripe, a similar structure at the receptive cone is reduced to two seeds that remain attached to the leaf.It differs from other West Australian macrozamias in that it is generally trunkless, smaller, has fewer and glossier flat leaves, and has smaller cones.The first species description was published as "Cycas riedlei" by Friedrich Ernst Ludwig von Fischer, based on a specimen collected at King George Sound and held at the Paris museum.