The composite leaves of Steganotaenia araliacea var. araliacea spiral up the stems on petioles from 4 cm to 10 cm, crowded near stem-tips. The leaves are about 30 cm long, their petioles broadening low down in clasping the stem. The leaf structure is imparipinnate, formed by only two to four, widely spaced leaflet pairs on the yellow-green, hairless rachis; as well as a terminal one.

Leaflet stalks, the petiolules are from 5 mm to 10 mm long. Leaflet shape is broadly ovate or elliptic and slightly oblique. The tip tapers to an acutely shaped point, the base tapers broadly or is heart-shaped or square. Leaflet margins are conspicuously serrated, the teeth ending in fibrous tips.

The thinly textured blades are fresh green, yellowish green or bright green on both surfaces, slightly paler below and hairless. The midrib is prominent on both surfaces, the lateral veins only below. The leaflet dimensions are 3 cm to 8 cm long by 2 cm to 5,5 cm wide (Mannheimer and Curtis, (Eds.), 2009; Coates Palgrave, 2002; Schmidt, et al, 2002).