Achlorophyllous, holoparasitic herbs. Vegetative body consists entirely of endophytic tissues present within the host plant and bracts that subtend the flowers. Present as bracts subtending the flower. Flower bud primordia are formed endogenously within the host cortex. For Pilostyles , flowers of the same developmental stage often occur at uniform distances from the host apex.
Flowers emerge singly from the host bark but generally occur in groupings or rows.
Each flower arise from a cupule-like structure formed from the host bark. These cupules are pesistent on the host bark after the flowers whither and fall off. In Apodanthes , the lower whorl consists of two leathery free bracts, the upper of four larger, rounded, connate bracts. The bracts in Apodanthes are yellow to orange in color which differentiates them from the white perianth. In Pilostyles , the bracts and perianth colors are more similar.