Brachylaena elliptica leaves velvety below

Seen from below, the Brachylaena elliptica leaves show their white velvety lower surfaces. The leaves ascend around the stem-tips, their midrib and lateral veins raised below. The silhouettes of the leaf tips are an identification give-away, in spite of their marginal lobing being variable.

These leaves find their way into the traditional medicine world, used in the treatment of diabetes (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Pooley, 1993).