The shrub grows 5 m (16 ft) tall and flowers from December to January. The plant dies after a fire but the seeds survive. The seeds are stored in a toll on the female plant and fall to the ground after a fire, possibly spreading by the wind. The plant is unisexual and there are separate plants with male and female flowers, which are pollinated by the wind.
The plant occurs in the Kammanassie Mountains, Kouga Mountains, and eastern Swartberg. The plant grows on southern slopes in shale or rocky soil at altitudes of 1,370 to 1,700 m (4,490 to 5,580 ft).
