The Oriental spider genus Perilla Thorell is revised, diagnosed and transferred from the tetragnathid subfamily Nephilinae to the araneid subfamily Araneinae. Cladistic analysis of recently published araneid matrices with the addition of Perilla supports this new placement. Perilla groups with Chorizopes O. P.-Cambridge, previously a basal araneid. Perilla teres Thorell, the type species of the genus, is redescribed. The only other known species, Perilla cylindrogaster Simon, is proposed as a junior synonym of P. teres, which renders Perilla monotypic.