The three terrestrial species are Nuytsia floribunda (the Western Australian Christmas tree), Atkinsonia ligustrina (from the Blue Mountains of Australia), and Gaiadendron punctatum (from Central/South America.)

Loranthaceae are primarily xylem parasites, but their haustoria may sometimes tap the phloem,[4] while Tristerix aphyllus is almost holoparasitic.

The APG II system 2003 assigns the family to the order Santalales in the clade core eudicots.

Molecular phylogenetics suggests the following relationships of tribes, subtribes and genera:[6][7][8][9] Nuytsia is sister to the rest of the Loranthaceae,[10] with many characters, including its pollen, its fruit (dry and three winged), and the number of its cotyledons, differing substantially from all other Loranthaceae genera.

Remaining Santalales Nuytsia Atkinsonia Gaiadendron Alepis Amylotheca Cyne Decaisnina Elytranthe Lampas Lepeostegeres Lepidaria Loxanthera Lysiana Macrosolen Peraxilla Trilepidea Thaumasianthes Tupeia Desmaria Notanthera Ligaria Tristerix Aetanthus Cladocolea Dendropemon Maracanthus Oryctanthus Oryctina Panamanthus Passovia Peristethium Phthirusa Psittacanthus Struthanthus Tripodanthus Ileostylus Muellerina Cecarria Loranthus Amyema Baratranthus Benthamina Dactyliophora Diplatia Distrianthes Helicanthes Papuanthes Sogerianthe Scurrula Taxillus Dendrophthoe Helixanthera Tolypanthus Trithecanthera Emelianthe Erianthemum Globimetula Moquiniella Oliverella Phragmanthera Spragueanella Actinanthella Agelanthus Bakerella Berhautia Englerina Oedina Oncella Oncocalyx Pedistylis Plicosepalus Septulina Socratina Tapinanthus Vanwykia 78 genera are accepted:[13]