The Cochlospermaceae were a family of two genera and 20-25 species of trees and shrubs, first described by Jules Émile Planchon in 1847.
[1][2] They have been included in the Bixaceae from the APG III system onwards.
The older APG II system treated this family as an optional segregate of Bixaceae.
[3] They occur widely throughout the tropical regions of the world, but are curiously absent from Malaysia.
Most species in this family are mesophytic or xerophytic, growing primarily in drier climates.