It consists of about 575 species of herbaceous plants in 20 genera, native to the Northern Hemisphere and South Africa.

The largest genus is Corydalis (with 470 species).

Plants in the fumitory subfamily are easily recognised by their peculiar flowers with two dissimilar pairs of petals.

Dicentra has flowers with two planes of symmetry, and Corydalis has flowers with one plane of symmetry (zygomorphic).

The APG II system provided for its optional segregation as a separate family, but this option is not provided in the current APG IV system or the APG III system.