Cephalanthus natalensis leaves

The opposite leaves of Cephalanthus natalensis are simple. They grow on kinked, slender petioles that are red in the photo, and may be up to 5 mm long. There are thread-like stipules that may persist for some time, apparently dropped off already here. 

The ovate to elliptic leaves attenuate into slender, blunt driptips. At the base they are rounded to flat (square) or broadly tapering. The waxy blades are dark green to green above, sometimes glossy or tinged red, and paler below. There are domatia present in some vein axils. The creamy leaf midribs are more distinct than the few, spaced and incurving lateral veins that branch a bit before becoming faint in net-veining. The blades are hairless. The margins are entire, rolled under and sometimes wavy. New growth and autumn leaves are pinkish.

Leaf dimensions are 5 cm long and 2,5 cm wide (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Schmidt, et al, 2002; Van Wyk and Van Wyk, 1997; Pooley, 1993; iNaturalist).