Metarungia galpinii leaves

The simple leaves of Metarungia galpinii are opposite each other upon the stems and sessile or nearly so.

The leaf-shape is obovate to elliptic, tapering to a variably pointed tip and to the base. The margins, in picture entire and some of them rolled under, may sometimes be toothed, here only faintly wavy (sinuous) in some cases. The large, glossy blade bulges between the ascending lateral veins emerging from the cream-coloured midrib.

Young leaf clusters sprouting from the leaf axils in the photo are darker green than the older leaves below them. Faint hairiness is present on the young leaves, strongly along midribs and bigger veins where it tends to persist.

Leaf dimensions are 9 cm to 19 cm long and 3,5 cm to 7 cm wide (Leistner, (Ed.), 2000; JSTOR; http://pza.sanbi.org).