D&D 5E Origin of pointy eared folk

[MarkB]

So, wait, what's the dispute? People think he meant oak or aspen leaves? Who describes something shaped like an aspen leaf as "leaf shaped"? Birch, elm, ash, or beech is the more typical shape. Or maple, I suppose, but that's even more ridiculous.

I'd expect he meant a shape similar to a leaf shaped blade, or leaf shaped spearhead or arrowhead. That's the typical leaf shape.

It's also worth noting that no mention is made of orientation. A leaf shape could just as easily be oriented with its tip pointed down and forward, giving a pointy lobe rather than a pointy top.