This species was first formally described in 1870 by George Bentham who gave it the name Dryandra polycephala and published the description in Flora Australiensis from specimens collected by James Drummond.
The classification of this species began in 1870 with George Bentham's formal description, which he titled Dryandra polycephala and presented in Flora Australiensis, based on specimens collected by James Drummond.