[1] It includes widely cultivated genera such as Coreopsis, after which the tribe is named, as well as Cosmos and Dahlia.

A similar group has been recognized since 1829, generally as part of the tribe Heliantheae (Cassini, 1819).

[2] In the late 20th century, molecular studies caused a slightly redefined version of this group to be recognized as its own tribe, Coreopsideae.

[3] Within the tribe, the traditional definition of genera based on flower and fruit characters does not reflect evolutionary relationships as inferred through molecular phylogenetics.

These genera are thought to share a common ancestor and thus a single origin of C4 carbon fixation.