A family of about 40 genera and 800 species, cosmopolitan, but mainly in north temperate areas; four genera occur naturally in Australia.

Muehlenbeckia - A genus of 15 species in the Americas, New Guinea, Australia and New Zealand; 10 species occur naturally in Australia. Stanley & Ross (1983).

Persicaria - A genus of about 150 species, cosmopolitan but more common in the northern hemisphere; about 12 species occur naturally in Australia. Stanley & Ross (1983); Wilson (1988).

Triplaris - A genus of 17 species native to tropical America; ca. 1 species occasionally naturalised in Australia. Brandbyge (1986)

Brandbyge, J. (1986). A revision of the genus Triplaris (Polygonaceae). Nordic Journal of Botany 6: 545-570.

Stanley, T.D. & Ross, E.M. (1983). Polygonaceae. In 'Flora of south-eastern Queensland.' Vol. 1, (Queensland Department of Primary Industries: Brisbane.), pp. 84-92.

Wilson, K.L. (1988). Polygonum sensu lato (Polygonaceae) in Australia. Telopea 3:177-182.