The teeth on leaf margins of Maytenus undata may be as prominent and irregular in size and spacing as seen here. They are here absent from the leaf base near the short petiole; petioles may reach 1 cm in length.

The alternate leaves are pale to dark green, in the photo somewhat yellowish green. The leaf texture is smooth and leathery, leaving a musty smell on the fingers when rubbed. The leaves are sometimes covered in a powdery bloom.

Venation is fairly obscure on the upper leaf surface, more conspicuous and dark below. The tree is evergreen. The fine fissuring of the bark has already set in on some of the upper stems in the photo.

Often grown for its leaves, the tree is slow-growing, but easy to grow, both from seed and cuttings (Coates Palgrave, 2002; Schmidt, et al, 2002).