Schotia afra var. angustifolia leaves

The alternate leaves of Schotia afra var. angustifolia are paripinnate, i.e. once compound without a terminal leaflet.

The leaflets are narrowly oblong to linear with blunt or mucronate tip and a skewed base. They grow in opposite pairs, slightly curved down or straight, folded in along the rachis and angled slightly forward in neatly parallel ranks. Some devastation is in evidence in the photo at the end of winter, some having yellowed, are lost or out of position like troops at the end of a campaign.

Sparse, downy hairs are sometimes present on leaflet blades, more prevalent along the margins that are entire. The leaf becomes from 3 cm to 4 cm long on a petiole of 2 mm to 4 mm. Twelve to sixteen pairs of leaflets are usually borne.

The leaves are browsed by stock and game (Mannheimer and Curtis, (Eds.), 2009; Coates Palgrave, 2002; iNaturalist).