Sprawling shrub, 0.3–1.5 m tall, non-sprouting. Branchlets moderately villous to hirsute, and densely tomentose with pale rust-brown hairs at flowering. Leaves in lower parts elliptic to ovate, in flowering region broadly ovate-acuminate (markedly narrowed in distal half), decurved, folded adaxially almost in half along midrib (sides almost erect), at base almost obscuring stem, 2.2–6 cm long, 1.2–5 cm wide when spread open, entire or almost so (often finely denticulate or crenulate), narrowly acute, grey-green.

Inflorescence axillary with 5 or 6 flowers; pedicels 1.2–2 mm long, glabrous. Perianth white. Pistil 14–15 mm long; gland absent.

Fruit 1 or 2 per axil, obliquely narrowly ovate in lateral view, 1.1–1.3 cm long, 4–6 mm wide. Seed obliquely narrowly ovate, indented at base, 11–15 mm long; wing extending narrowly down both sides of body, blackish brown throughout.

From Smilax, a genus of plants usually now treated within their own family Smilacaceae but previously considered to be part of the Liliaceae, and folius, Latin for leaf; a reference to a perceived resemblance of the leaves of this plant to those of a Smilax.