A family of about 45 genera and 700-800 species, pantropic but with a few species extending into the temperate regions; five genera occur naturally in Australia.

Cadaba - A genus of about 30 species in Africa, Madagascar, Asia, Malesia and Australia; one species occurs naturally in Australia. Hewson (1982).

Capparis - A genus of about 250 species, pantropic; about 17-20 species occur naturally in Australia. Guymer (2008); Hewson (1982);  Jacobs (1960, 1965);  Kers (2003).

Crateva - A genus of eight species, pantropic; one species occurs naturally in Australia. Hewson (1982); Jacobs (1960, 1964).

Guymer, G.P. (2008), Capparis batianoffii Guymer (Capparaceae) a new species from central coastal Queensland. Austrobaileya 7(4): 723-725.

Jacobs, M. (1960). Capparidaceae. In 'Flora Malesiana.' Ser. 1, Vol. 6, (P. Noordhoff: Groningen.), pp. 61-105.

Jacobs, M. (1964). The genus Crateva (Capparaceae). Blumea 12:177-384.

Jacobs, M. (1965). The genus Capparis from the Indus to the Pacific. Blumea 12:385-541.

Kers, L. E. (2003). Capparaceae. In  Kubitzki, K. & Bayer, C.  (eds), The Families and Genera of Vascular Plants. (Springer-Verlag: Berlin). Vol. 5, pp. 36-56.