Cassinopsis ilicifolia leaves and flowers

Some of the Cassinopsis ilicifolia leaves in picture appear to have entire margins, while others show few, irregularly spaced and sharp-tipped teeth. The teeth may not always be clearly visible from margins being rolled under.

The opposite, simple leaves are narrowly ovate and hairless, growing on petioles of up to 8 mm long that are sometimes hairy. The leaf apex tapers to an acute point or drip-tip, the base rounded to broadly tapering.

There is a slight, but distinct fold along the leaf’s recessed midrib. The faint lateral veins angle upwards to the margins without visibly reaching them, by joining the next higher one in forward curves.

The lower surfaces of the thinly textured leaves are dull green, lacking the fresh green to glossy bright green of the upper ones. Leaf dimensions are 4 cm to 6 cm by 2 cm to 2,5 cm (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Venter, 2012; Schmidt, et al, 2002).