Synonym: Renalcidae Riding and Brasier 1975
Parent taxon: Cyanobacteria according to K. Krainer and D. Vachard 2019
Sister taxa: Abruptophycus, Acaciella, Agamus, Aldania, Alternella, Alternia, Angarophycus, Antiquophytolithus, Archaeothrix, Arenarina, Artophycus, Aulophycus, Basisphaera, Beltanelliformis, Bevocastria, Borlogella, Brachypleganon, Bursiphycas, Calevia, Calothricites, Calyptophycus, Camasia, Catinella, Chomentovskia, Chomustachia, Cirriphycus, Cladogirvanella, Coccogoneae, Columnaria, Crustophycus, Cyanostroma, Cycularia, Cystostroma, Eoaphanothece, Eoepiphyton, Eophormidium, Eoschizothrix, Eucaspsiphora, Fibrostroma, Filiphycus, Fillostroma, Flexia, Galinia, Georgiana, Glenobotrydion, Glomeophycus, Gouldina, Grenularia, Gruneria, Hecetaphyton, Hormogoneae, Hormosporites, Izhella, Katernia, Kostinophycus, Lamellophycus, Lamellostroma, Leptophycus, Lermontovaephycus, Lopatinella, Madiganites, Maldeotaina, Manacyathus, Mansurkella, Marpolia, Microcystopsis, Morania, Mussooriella, Myxococcoides, Nerusiandella, Nuia, Oncobyrsella, Ostiana, Palaeomicrocystis, Paleocalothrix, Paleoisocystis, Papulophycus, Perennaria, Phanerosphaerops, Pilbaria, Platella, Plexostroma, Polybessurus, Protoepiphyton, Ramulostroma, Ramulus, Rhyniella, Scandophycus, Schizothropsis, Shanganella, Sphaerina, Sphaerothallus, Spirellus, Squamosphaera, Stigonematales, Subtifloria, Talakania, Tarioufetia, Telastroma, Trichostroma, Tubercularia, Tumidophyton, Tunikata, Tuxekanella, Uluksanella, Vesicularia, Vittophyton, Wetheredellidae, Xianella, Desmekalamos, Rothpletzella, Oscillatoriacea, Lithocodium, Somphospongia, Sigmopollis, Millaria, Setula, Callosicoccus, Cladophorites, Porostromata, Myxophyceae, Antiquus, Sphaerocodium, Cyanophyceae
Subtaxa: Batinevia Bija Chabakovia Gahkumella Gordonophyton Renalcis Tarthinia Tubomorphophyton
Ecology: stationary "photoautotroph"
Distribution:
• Triassic of China (3 collections)
• Carboniferous of Australia (2), China (1), France (1), Ireland (3), Spain (1), the United Kingdom (1)
• Devonian of Afghanistan (4), Australia (6), Austria (1), Canada (6: Alberta, Nunavut), China (6), Czechia (2), France (1), Germany (6), Morocco (2), the Russian Federation (7), Tajikistan (1), Thailand (1), the United Kingdom (1), United States (2: Alaska, Nevada)
• Silurian to Devonian of United States (1: Alaska)
• Silurian of Canada (3: Nunavut, Ontario, Quebec), the Russian Federation (1), Sweden (1), United States (3: Alaska, Indiana, Ohio)
• Arenig of Canada (2: Newfoundland and Labrador), United States (6: Oklahoma)
• Ordovician of Canada (3: Newfoundland and Labrador, Ontario), China (5), Kazakhstan (2), the Russian Federation (3), United States (4: Oklahoma, Texas)
• Cambrian of Antarctica (2), Australia (9), Canada (9: British Columbia, Newfoundland and Labrador, Northwest Territories, Yukon), China (5), Germany (4), Italy (9), Mexico (6), Mongolia (15), Morocco (12), the Russian Federation (42), Spain (4), the United Kingdom (1), United States (11: Colorado, Montana, Nevada, Texas, Wyoming)
• Solvan of United States (1: Tennessee)
• Ediacaran of India (1), the Russian Federation (1)
Total: 224 collections including 275 occurrences