It is a somewhat rare tree found only growing in the rainforests of southeastern Queensland and northeastern New South Wales.

Floydia praealta is a tree growing to 30 m (98 ft) tall with a trunk up to 60 cm (24 in) diameter.

[1][2] There are between 10 and 28 pairs of secondary veins and a densely reticulate tertiary venation which are all obvious on both surfaces.

In his publication Fragmenta phytographiæ Australiæ Mueller named the plant Helicia praealta.

The species was transferred to the genus Macadamia in 1901 by Queensland Colonial Botanist Frederick Manson Bailey and then to Floydia in 1975 by Lawrie Johnson and Barbara Briggs.