火把树科包括26属约350余种，都是生长在南半球，主要分布在澳大利亚、新西兰、新几内亚、南美、新喀里多尼亚群岛和南非。有的属如Caldcluvia也向北越过赤道分布到菲律宾和斐济一带。

本科植物有乔木、灌木也有藤本植物，一般都是常绿植物，也有几种是落叶的，单叶对生或轮生，有托叶；花4或5裂，也有花瓣为3瓣甚至是10瓣的；果实为蒴果，种子含油。

1981年的克朗奎斯特分类法将本科分到蔷薇目下，1998年根据基因亲缘关系分类APG 分类法将其分到酢浆草目，并将以前分类法中的常绿枝科 （Baueraceae），澳楸科 （Davidsoniaceae）和船形果科（Eucryphiaceae）和本科合并。

Cunoniaceae is a family of 27 genera and about 300 species of woody plants in the order Oxalidales, mostly found in the tropical and wet temperate regions of the Southern Hemisphere. The greatest diversity of genera are in Australia and Tasmania (15 genera), New Guinea (9 genera), and New Caledonia (7 genera). the family is also present in Central America, South America, the Caribbean, Malesia, the island of the South Pacific, Madagascar and surrounding islands. the family is absent from mainland Asia except from Peninsular Malaysia, and almost absent from mainland Africa apart from two species from Southern Africa (Cunonia capensis, Platylophus trifoliatus). Several of the genera have remarkable disjunct ranges, found on more than one continent, e.g. Cunonia (Southern Africa & New Caledonia), Eucryphia (Australia & South America) Weinmannia sect. Weinmannia (America and the Mascarenes).