Cyanea platyphylla, of the Campanulaceae (bellflower) family, is an unbranched palm-like shrub 1 to 3 m (3 to 10 ft) tall with stems that are covered with short, sharp, pale spines on the upper portions, especially as juveniles. This species has different leaves in the juvenile and adult plants. The juvenile leaves are 10.5 to 25 cm (4.1 to 10 in) long and 4 to 7.5 cm (1.6 to 3.0 in) wide, with prickles on leaves and stalks. Adult leaves are 34 to 87 cm (13 to 34 in) long and 7 to 22 cm (2.8 to 8.7 in) wide, and are only sparsely prickled. Six to 25 flowers are clustered on the end of a main stalk 20 to 90 cm (8 to 35 in) long, and each flower has a stalk 1 to 2.5 cm (0.4 to 1 in) long. The hypanthium is topped by five small, triangular calyx lobes. Petals, which are white or yellowish white with magenta stripes, are fused into a curved tube with five spreading lobes. The corolla is 4.2 to 5.4 cm (1.7 to 2.1 in) long and 5 to 10 mm (0.2 to 0.4 in) wide. Berries are pale orange, 8 to 10 mm (0.3 to 0.4 in) long, and 6 to 8 mm (0.2 to 0.3 in) wide.