南鼠刺科共有8属约68余种，主要分布于南美洲和澳洲。

本科植物主要为乔木和灌木，单叶互生，稀对生或轮生；小花两性，辐射对称，排成总状花序，稀为雌雄异株或杂性，花瓣4－5；果实为蒴果或浆果。

以前的分类法认为本科属于川续断目，并把鼠刺属（Itea）也列入其中，所以也称其为鼠刺科，但1998年根据基因亲缘关系分类的APG 分类法认为鼠刺属应单独成为鼠刺科，属于虎耳草目，而其他属则应合并成另一科，属于II类真菊分支但无法列入任何一目，所以称为南鼠刺科。

Escalloniaceae is a family of flowering plants comprising about 130 species in seven genera. In the APG II system it is one of eight families in the euasterids II clade (campanulids) that are unplaced as to order. More recent research has provided evidence that two of those families, Eremosynaceae and Tribelaceae, arose from within Escalloniaceae; the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website therefore merges these two families into Escalloniaceae, and also places the family alone in order Escalloniales.