Columelliaceae is a family of trees and shrubs native to the Andes

Andes

The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...

 of South America

South America

South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...

.

In the APG II taxonomy they are placed in the order Lamiales

Lamiales

Lamiales is an order in the asterid group of dicotyledonous flowering plants. It includes approximately 11,000 species divided into about 20 families...

, but a 2008 study suggested that they are sister to the Bruniaceae

Bruniaceae

Bruniaceae is a family of shrubs native to the cape region of South Africa. They are mostly restricted to the Cape Province, but a small number of species occur in KwaZulu-Natal....

, and the Angiosperm Phylogeny Website

Angiosperm Phylogeny Website

Angiosperm Phylogeny Website is a well-known web site dedicated to research on Angiosperm phylogeny and taxonomy.The site is hosted by the Missouri Botanical Garden website and maintained by researcher Peter F. Stevens, who is a member of the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group...

 proposes incorporating this finding by placing both families in order Bruniales

Bruniales

Bruniales is a valid botanic name at the rank of order. Until recently it was not in use, but a 2008 study suggested that Bruniaceae and Columelliaceae are sister clades...

. The APG III system

APG III system

The APG III system of flowering plant classification is the third version of a modern, mostly molecular-based, system of plant taxonomy...

of 2009 thus does place Columelliaceae in the Bruniales.