The Winged Calabash has bright green leaves, that grow to about 12 centimeters long and have three leaflets. They are oblong and attach to the stem, or sometimes directly to the trunk, by means of a winged petiole. Hence, they appear somewhat cross-shaped, a feature that fascinated the conquistadores, who took the unusual appearance of the foliage as a sign that a higher power approved of their efforts to conquer the Americas.