'streaked-leaved' originates from Modern English, formed from the past participle 'streaked' (from the verb 'streak') and the adjectival element 'leaved' (from 'leaf'), where 'streak' meant 'a long thin mark or stripe' and 'leaf' meant 'a leaf (of a plant)'.

'streak' developed in Middle English from earlier Germanic sources meaning a mark or stripe, while 'leaf' comes from Old English 'lēaf'; the descriptive compound 'streaked-leaved' is a Modern English formation combining these elements to describe foliage.

Initially it described simply 'marked with streaks'; over time the compound came to be used specifically to describe leaves that bear streaks, retaining that descriptive sense.