Small, forward pointing teeth are unevenly and sparsely positioned along the margins of the Maytenus procumbens leaves. The pale leaf midribs are conspicuous upon the dark green, leathery blades. Curving and irregularly branching lateral veins ascend towards the margins and join haphazardly like secondary roads on rural maps.

The leaves are alternate to sub-opposite on the stems. Their petioles are short, thick and pale yellow. Young branches are dull red to purplish, pinkish orange and other tints shading into the nameless. Old branches are pale grey-brown and smooth (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Van Wyk and Van Wyk, 1997).