Ceratozamia totonacorum is named for the local people where it occurs in Puebla, Mexico. This plant was discovered in the search for a notorious plant with the moniker ‘Redback’. Plants live on incredibly steep slopes, so steep it’s nearly impossible to stand. A shallow layer of rich humus covered the weathered soil. Leaves exceeded 2 meters in length and hung. The leaflets were dark green on top and prominently reddish underneath.