Cytinus | |
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Cytinus ruber from Sardinia | |
Scientific classification ![]() | |
Kingdom: | Plantae |
Clade: | Tracheophytes |
Clade: | Angiosperms |
Clade: | Eudicots |
Clade: | Rosids |
Order: | Malvales |
Family: | Cytinaceae |
Genus: | Cytinus L. |
Species | |
See text |
Cytinus is a genus of parasitic flowering plants. 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. It has also been found on Ptilostemon chamaepeuce.
Several species are found in the Mediterranean Region, South Africa, with a possibly undescribed species from Madagascar. [1]
C. capensis and C. sanguineus are dioecious, while C. hypocistis is monoecious. [2]
C. hypocistis has been shown to infect mainly Halimium halimifolium and Cistus monspeliensis in Portugal. [3]
The genus Cytinus was previously included in the parasitic family Rafflesiaceae, but is now put into the family Cytinaceae [2] (order Malvales), together with the genus Bdallophytum with four species.
Cytinus ruber is no longer considered a separate species, but is now a subspecies of C. hypocistis.
![]() | This article needs more reliable medical references for verification or relies too heavily on primary sources .(November 2014) | ![]() |
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. [4] C. ruber is also edible and was used in folk medicine as an emmenagogue. [5]
Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
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Cytinus baronii Baker f. | Madagascar. | |
Cytinus capensis Marloth | South Africa | |
Cytinus glandulosus Jum. | Madagascar. | |
![]() | Cytinus hypocistis (L.) L. | Mediterranean from Morocco to southern France and Turkey |
Cytinus malagasicus Jum. & H.Perrier | Madagascar. | |
![]() | Cytinus ruber (Fourr.) Fritsch | Mediterranean |
![]() | Cytinus sanguineus (Thunb.) Fourc. | South Africa |
Cytinus visseri Burgoyne | South Africa | |