Leucadendron xanthoconus grows narrow leaves that are somewhat sickle-shaped. Those close to stem-tips where pollen cones form, the involucral leaves, are long and yellow.
The specific name of this plant, xanthoconus, is derived from the Greek word xanthos meaning yellow or golden and the Latin word conus meaning cone, referring to these yellow stem-tip leaves around the cones (Manning, 2007; Bean and Johns, 2005; Andrew, 2017; iNaturalist).