The Cleomaceae are a small family of flowering plants in the order Brassicales, comprising about 220 species in two genera, Cleome and Cleomella.

Early DNA-analysis showed that the Capparaceae - as defined at that moment - were paraphyletic, and others suggested to assign the genera closest to the Brassicaceae to the Cleomaceae.

Other classifications have continued to recognise the Capparaceae, but with a more restricted circumscription, either including Cleome and its relatives in the Brassicaceae or recognizing them in the segregate family Cleomaceae.

The APG III system has recently adopted this last solution, but this may change as a consensus arises on this point.

[2] Cleomaceae are mostly annual, sometimes perennial herbaceous plants, seldom shrubs or small trees, and some are lianas.

The filaments may be of equal length or strongly differ, and all may carry anthers, but infertile staminodes may also occur.

When the fruit has a replum, it has the same basic morphology as the Brassicaceae (called silicula or siliqua), and this sets it apart from the Capparaceae, that have a capsule.