It consists of one species, Abeliophyllum distichum Nakai, endemic to Korea, where it is endangered in the wild, occurring at only seven sites.

The flowers are produced in early spring before the new leaves appear; they are white or pink tinged, and fragrant, about 1–1.5 cm (0–1 in) in diameter, with a four-lobed corolla.

[3] The genus name of Abeliophyllum is in honour of Clarke Abel (1780–1826), a British surgeon and naturalist.

The Latin specific epithet of distichum means in two ranks, referring to the leaves.

[6] In 1998, a review of the plant's conservation status found that "it is close to extinction and qualifies for the IUCN Category of 'Critically Endangered', indicating a high risk of extinction in the near future.