The family is pantropical. Five genera are distinguished: Chaetocarpus (c. 13 spp.) occurs in all tropics and subtropics of S and C America, Africa and S and SE Asia with 1 species in W Malesia; Clutia with c. 75 species is African; Pera with 30 – 40 species is present in the Caribbean and tropical South America; Pogonophora has 2 neotropi- cal and one W African species; and Trigonopleura Hook.f. is found with 3 species in W Malesia.