Habit: Dendropemon purpureus grows as a parasite on other trees and shrubs with round, non-scaled, stems. The leaves are arranged oppositely, to 6 cm in length, obovate to oblanceolate with a round to obtuse to acute and mucronate leaf apex.
The complete, perfect, actinomorphic flowers are arranged in racemes. Each flower is subtended by a cup shaped set of bracts. The calyx has 5, fused into a cup, sepals. The corolla has 6, red, fused at their base, petals with their inner surface covered in conical bumps. There are 3 stamens and 3 staminodes fused to the corolla. The ovary is inferior with 6 locules and numerous ovules. The fruit is a blue/black (sometimes red at the base) berry at maturity.
Habitat: Dendropemon purpureus grows on Swietenia mahagoni, Acacia, Catalpa, Hippomane, and others.
Distribution: Dendropemon purpureus occurs on many of the island groupings in the Lucayan Archipelago as well as the Greater Antilles (except Jamaica).
Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Dendropemon purpureus is known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago to treat pain and fish poisonings, to cause miscarriages, and in strengthening teas.