Brachylaena elliptica leaves glossy above

The upper leaf surfaces of Brachylaena elliptica may be quite shiny as in the photo. The midribs and ascending lateral veins that approach the margins in nearly straight lines are slightly sunken on the upper surfaces. The leaf lobes vary considerably, often retaining the typical three-pointed tips of the oblong to inverted wedge-shapes. The smallest stem-tip leaves are lighter and brighter in colour than the dark-green mature ones.

The branches of B. elliptica have been useful in starting fire by friction, in the days when necessity still mothered such inventions. The sturdy young stems serve well as fence posts (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Pooley, 1993).