The Taíno name for this plant is thought to be a possible origin for the Spanish verb guayar, 'to grate', due to the past use of Zamia species for making bread.

[4] The smallest cycad plant, some individuals have been found which have only grown to a height of only 25 cm (10 in).

In its harsh native habitat the compound leaves are one to four in number, but in cultivation plants may grow with up to twenty leaves —these have smooth petioles and rachis, and bear five to fifteen pairs of ovate leaflets, although in cultivation the plant grows more pairs of leaflets.

[8] It generally grows in open, dry habitats varying from serpentine to limestone outcrops to almost pure sand.

[9] The primary threats to Z. pygmaea are from species mortality, brought on by direct harvest from the wild, farming and ranching as a result of agricultural expansion, and intensification and deforestation resulting in habitat loss or fragmentation.