Well-known members include Cercis (redbuds), including species widely cultivated as ornamental trees in the United States and Europe, Bauhinia, widely cultivated as an ornamental tree in tropical Asia, and Tylosema , a semi-woody genus of Africa.

The subfamily occupies a basal position within the Fabaceae and is supported as monophyletic in many molecular phylogenies.

[4][5][6][7][8][9] At the 6th International Legume Conference, the Legume Phylogeny Working Group proposed elevating the tribe Cercidae to the level of subfamily within the Leguminosae (Fabaceae).

[3] It has the following clade-based definition: The most inclusive crown clade containing Cercis canadensis L. and Bauhinia divaricata L. but not Poeppigia procera C.Presl, Duparquetia orchidacea Baill., or Bobgunnia fistuloides (Harms) J.H.Kirkbr.

[11][12] Cercidoideae comprises the following genera[3][13][14] organized into tribes:[15] Molecular phylogenetics suggest the following relationships:[13][15][16][19] Detarioideae (outgroup) Cercis Adenolobus Griffonia Piliostigma Brenierea Bauhinia sensu stricto Gigasiphon Tylosema Schnella Barklya Lysiphyllum Cheniella Lasiobema Phanera