A single species, the blue-chinned sapphire is variously placed in the monotypic genus Chlorestes or in Chlorostilbon.

The taxonomy of the C. mellisugus superspecies is highly complex and, depending on view, includes 1-8 species.

The males are overall iridescent green, golden-green or bluish-green, and in some species the tail and/or throat is blue.

The genus Chlorostilbon was introduced in 1853 by the English ornithologist John Gould to accommodate a single species to which Gould gave the binomial name Chlorostilbon prasinus.

[3] This taxon is now considered as a subspecies of the glittering-bellied emerald Chlorostilbon lucidus pucherani.