Sanicula purpurea, a member of the parsley family (Apiaceae), is a stout perennial herb, 8 to 36 cm (3 to 14 in) tall, arising from a massive stem. The basal leaves are numerous and leathery in texture. Two to 8 cm (0.8 to 3 in.) wide, the leaves are kidney-shaped or circular to egg-heart-shaped, with three to seven lobes. The small flowers are purple or cream-colored with a purple tinge and occur in branched terminal clusters, each of which contains six to ten flowers. Each flower cluster contains one to three perfect flowers and five to seven staminate flowers. The nearly spherical fruits are covered with prickles. This species is distinguished from others in the genus by the number of flowers per cluster and by the color of the petals.