Originally described as a section of Polyporus by Charles Horton Peck in 1880,[1] Cornelius Lott Shear made it a distinct genus in 1902.

[2] Cryptoporus contains two species, C. sinensis and the type C. volvatus, found in southeast Asia and North America, respectively.

[3] C. sinensis is morphologically indistinguishable from C. volvatus except for its smaller spores (7.5–10 by 4–5 μm compared to 10–12.5 by 5–6 μm.

[4] The generic name combines the Ancient Greek words κρυπτός ("hidden") and πόρος ("pore").

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