 The family was described in 1970 by British mycologist E.J.H.Corner to accommodate species of club and coral fungi that were similar to species in the Clavariaceae, but whose context hyphae were uninflated.As well as the genus "Aphelaria", Corner included the small genera "Corticirama", "Phaeoaphelaria", and "Tumidapexus" within the Aphelariaceae.