Species in this genus do not produce chlorophyll, but rely fully on its host plant.

Cytinus usually parasitizes Cistus and Halimium, two genera of plants in the family Cistaceae.

[2] C. hypocistis has been shown to infect mainly Halimium halimifolium and Cistus monspeliensis in Portugal.

Cytinus ruber is no longer considered a separate species, but is now a subspecies of C. hypocistis.

The young C. hypocistis is cooked as an asparagus substitute and an extract has been used in herbal medicine for dysentery, throat tumors and as an astringent.