Leucadendron spissifolium subsp. oribinum is a shrub 0.5-1.5 m tall that produces many stems arising from a persistent rootstock. Plants are dioecious, a word derived from Greek di meaning two and oicos or oecos, which means house, referring to male and female flowers being borne on separate plants. Male flowerheads are leafless. Leaves are spear-shaped and twisted at the base (Williams 1972; Rebelo 1995). The male flowerheads are solitary at the ends of short, slender branches. Numerous heads are produced, giving off a faint smell of honey and yeast. The female flowerheads are also terminal and solitary. Flowers are yellow.

Five subspecies are recognized within Leucadendron spissifolium. The Oribi spear-leaved conebush subspecies is a geographical variant that differs from the others by sickle-shaped leaves, which grow up to 45 mm long in female and 31 mm long in male plants (Rebelo 2001). It belongs to a group informally called the sunshine conebushes (Rebelo 2001), that all have winged seeds and smooth leaves, whereas the closely related clay conebushes have rough leaves.