 "L. conocarpodendron" differs from its nearest relatives by its tree-like habit, the narrowly cone-shaped common base of the flower heads, the oval involucral bracts with a pointy tip, and the
broad cone-shaped pollen presenter.The earliest known description of the species we now know as "Leucospermum conocarpodendron" was by Paul Hermann in "Paradisus Batavus", a book describing the plants of the Hortus Botanicus Leiden (botanical garden of the Leyden university), that was published in 1689, three years after his death.He called it "Salix conophora Africana" (African cone-bearing willow), based on his observation of "Leucospermum conocarpodendron" on the lower slopes of the Table Mountain.