Unlike those classified in the related genus Banksieaephyllum, the leaves do not have their cuticular architecture preserved.

The genus was defined by botanists Bob Hill and David Christophel in 1988 to distinguish banksia-like leaves that had been organically preserved from those that had not.

The leaf has entire margins in its basal half and pinnate lobes pointed apically in its apical half, which resembles the leaves of the fossil species Banksieaephyllum cuneatum and B. incisum, as well as the living species Banksia grandis, B. baxteri and B. drummondii.

[1] Banksieaeformis dentatus was described by Hill and Christophel from Late Eocene-Oligocene deposits from Cethana in northern Tasmania.

[1] Researchers David Greenwood, Peter Haines and David Steart named three more species from Central Australia in 2001: Banksieaeformis serratus, recovered from Paleogene strata at Glen Helen near Alice Springs, resembles the living Banksia serrata, Banksieaeformis langii, recovered from three sites (Stuart Creek, Woomera and Jacks Hill) in northern South Australia, has long narrow lobed leaves at least 8.5 cm long and only 1.2-1.6 cm wide resembling Banksia formosa, and Banksieaeformis praegrandis, also from South Australia, has large leaves with long narrow widely spaced lobes reminiscent of Banksia chamaephyton.