The family consists of two genera and four species[5] of perennial herbaceous plants endemic to New Caledonia and Tasmania.

Originally described by Dumortier in 1829, Campynemaceae consisted of a single genus, Campynema, described by Labillardière in Tasmania in 1804.

[6] Together the two genera make up the family Campynemataceae sensu Angiosperm Phylogeny Group (APG), within the Liliales order.

[4] The synthesis of molecular data with cladistic analysis suggests that the Liliales form one of eleven orders of monocotyledons.

Corsiaceae Campynemataceae Melanthiaceae Petermanniaceae Colchicaceae Luzuriagaceae Alstroemeriaceae Ripogonaceae Philesiaceae Smilacaceae Liliaceae