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 species was first officially recognized in 1870 by George Bentham, who assigned it the name Dryandra polycephala and presented the details in Flora Australiensis, which was compiled from samples collected by James Drummond.