Ornithogalum pilosum leaves

The few leaves of Ornithogalum pilosum are small and narrow. They are spaced up the lower part of the flower stem, sheathing it and decreasing in size higher up. The blades are firm with thickened margins, dark purple-red on the outside and dull green inside. The acutely pointed leaf-tips tend to veer away from the stem.

The leaves are covered in soft hairs, conspicuously along margin fringes. The specific name, pilosum, is a Latin word meaning hairy or pilose, referring to this feature of the leaves. 

The leaves may sometimes be dry by flowering time (Bond and Goldblatt, 1984; iNaturalist; JSTOR; http://worldfloraonline.org).