The genus contains 8 known species of shrubs and small trees, all endemic to Madagascar.

Members of the family are evergreen trees or shrubs.

Members of the family were separated from the Theaceae based on wood anatomy by the APG system, of 1998, and assigned to the order Caryophyllales in the clade core eudicots.

The family consists of a single genus, Asteropeia, native to Madagascar.

According to the AP-Website it forms a clade together with the family Physenaceae (also of Madagascar).