Its leaves follow the distinctive habit of its genus, sheathing the stem before curling away and tapering to a point.

One of the main features that distinguish R. sprengelioides from others in its genus is the size of its leaves, which at 8–12 mm are substantially smaller than those of Richea scoparia (a species that is often found growing in the same habitat).

Its closest relative, R. procera, is found at lower altitudes (over 400m above sea level) but it largely disappears before the sub alpine zone[4] where R. sprengelioides is most common.

Richea sprengelioides is found throughout the mountainous regions of west, south-west, north-east and the central plateau of Tasmania.

This implies that since the breakup of Gondwana conditions elsewhere have become hostile, to the point that Tasmanian species have survived where others have largely died out.

While this species is not listed by the IUCN, alpine heathland, in which it is most commonly found, has the potential to change rapidly in the coming decades as Tasmania's climate warms.