The species has been assessed as endangered in the IUCN Red List, being known only from small separated areas and facing a variety of threats.

The woody stems have dark brown bark that easily frays and strips off.

The upper branches have a dense velvety covering of fine hairs (indumentum), beige to off-white in colour.

Opposite pairs of leaves are joined at the base by a 1 cm (0.4 in) long sheath, the outside of which is furrowed and the inside covered in hairs (as is the outside in subsp.

The petals are pink with yellowish bases, more-or-less rounded, about 2.5 cm (1.0 in) long and wide.

In its native habitat, C. chinamadenis flowers in May and produces seeds in June to July.

[3] Cistus chinamadensis was first described in 1991 by Ángel Bañares Baudet and Pedro Romero Manrique.

chinamadensis in the north of Tenerife in three locations in the Anaga region at altitudes of around 400–700 m (1,300–2,300 ft);[1][3] C. ch.

[1][5] In 2011 when its status was assessed as "endangered" according to the IUCN Red List criteria, Cistus chinamadensis was known from seven locations in the Canary Islands.

chinamadensis from Tenerife was present in three locations; its population appeared to be stable or increasing.

ombriosus from El Hierro was present in a single location with an area of about 1 km2 (0.4 sq mi).