This member of the Zamiazeae family was described with this name by Adolphe Théodore de Brongniart in 1846. It is found in forests of Hidalgo, Puebla, San Luis Potosi & Veracruz, Mexico, growing in a well drained soil with some water and some sun. The stem will grow up to 25 centimetres in diameter and 50 centimetres high. The leaves can reach 150 centimetres long. The male cone is brown, the female grey.