It is a distinct genus of Chloranthaceae consisting of less than twenty species, found in the Australian region, the Pacific Islands and Madagascar.

Ascarina are usually tropical cloud forest species which need high humidity to thrive, and are vulnerable to both frost and drought.

[2] Ascarina plants differ from the other members of the Chloranthaceae family in that male flowers can have more than one stamen, indicative of a reduction from a more advanced form.

[5] The plants grow best in sunny disturbed regions, a trait shared with its sister genus Hedyosmum, but not with the other two genera of Chloranthaceae.

[8] Fossil records show Ascarina pollen to be much more widespread during those time periods than it is currently, due to a more suitable climate and fewer competitors.

12 species are currently recognized:[1] The main point of contention in research of Ascarina lies in the primitive nature of the flower.

[3] The male flowers have a morphology that suggests that they have been reduced from a more evolved form, rather than simply retaining more primitive features.

The main evidence stems from the fact that Ascarina is the sole genus of Chloranthaceae which has flowers that can contain more than one stamen.

Most importantly, these pollen types date back to the early mid Cretaceous epoch,[2] before the time in which Chloranthaceae were abundant.

[2] In addition to this, the Clavatipollenites hughesii share the less common features of Ascarina pollen, such as spinules on the mori, which some believe is evidence of a direct link between the species of plants.