 The intrafamilial position of the Polycnemoideae has long been a matter of dispute.The taxon was recognized in 1827 as Tribus "Polycnemeae" within the family Chenopodiaceae by Dumortier "(In Florula Belgica)".Later, it was treated as belonging to the family Amaranthaceae in 1849 by Moquin-Tandon (in "Prodromus systematis naturalis...".