Cyanea purpurellifolia, a member of the bellflower family (Campanulaceae), is a shrub with fleshy stems 0.2 to 0.5 m (0.7 to 1.6 ft) long. Leaves are narrowly oblong to spatulate, 12 to 35 cm (4.7 to 14 in) long and 3 to 6.5 cm (1.2 to 2.6 in) wide with a glabrous upper surface, and glabrous to sparsely pubescent purple lower surface. Inflorescences are 3- to 6-flowered with connate calyx lobes. The corolla is dark magenta, 6 to 8 cm (2.4 to 3 in) long. Berries are dark purple, ellipsoid to obovoid (inversely ovoid) and 15 to 18 mm (0.6 to 0.7 in) long.