Leaf geometry in Penaea mucronata adds aesthetic appeal by the angles of blade sequences up the stems. Leaf growth patterns in nature allow plant identification in much less dramatic specific presentations than offered by this Penaea.

The yellow margins of the dull green blades are continued in differently coloured upper leaves next to the flowers. Heart-shaped, basal leaf lobes are mainly obscured in the vertical arrays, the boat-shaped leaf tips, keeled on their lower surfaces being the main feature on show (Manning, 2007).