Though the bright red bracts are considered its most flashy feature, they are not the actual flowers of the plant but instead extravagant leaves.

The Rubiaceae family is recognizable for having simple, opposite leaves with interpetiolar stipules and can come in the form of terrestrial trees, herbs, lianas, or shrubs like P. elata.

Since this species is a understory shrub that relies on the shade that the overhanging trees provide, the population sizes are rapidly decreasing and harshly diminished by over-harvesting, climate changes, and loss of habitat.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has reported that one-tenth of all the Palicourea species are considered threatened.

[8] If likewise threatened in the rest of its native range, P. elata and potentially a large portion its genus, are at risk.

[medical citation needed] The Guna people native to Panama and Colombia have habitually used this flower for dyspnea.

[9] As mentioned previously, the plant can offer a psychedelic effect that can potentially be used medically, but is mostly used in ceremonies in native communities.