'leathery-leaved' is a modern English compound formed by combining the adjective 'leathery' (meaning 'having the qualities of leather') and the participial/adjectival form 'leaved' (meaning 'having leaves').

'leathery' comes from 'leather' + suffix '-y'; 'leather' originates from Old English 'leðer' (from Proto-Germanic *leþraz). 'Leaved' derives from Old English 'lēaf' (leaf) with the past-participial/adjectival suffix '-ed'. These elements have been combined in Modern English to form descriptive compounds like 'leathery-leaved'.

Originally 'leather' referred to 'animal skin'; over time the adjective 'leathery' came to mean 'resembling or having the qualities of leather'. 'Leaf' originally meant the plant organ; the adjectival form 'leaved' came to mean 'having leaves'. Together they now mean 'having leaves like leather' in botanical description.