'sparse-leaved' originates from Modern English, combining 'sparse' (from Latin, specifically the word 'sparsus', where 'spars-' meant 'scattered') and 'leaved' (from Old English 'lēaf', where 'lēaf' meant 'leaf').

'sparse' came into English via Latin 'sparsus' (past participle of 'spargere', 'to scatter') and Middle English 'sparse'; 'leaved' developed from Old English 'lēaf' plus adjectival/past participle suffix '-ed'; the compound 'sparse-leaved' formed in Modern English as a descriptive botanical adjective.

Initially, the root 'spars-' conveyed the idea of 'scattered,' and 'lēaf' meant 'leaf'; over time the compound came to mean specifically 'having few or widely spaced leaves' rather than just 'scattered.'