In 2010, in a phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences, it was shown that Cuphocarpus was biphyletic and embedded in the large genus Polyscias.
[2] In an accompanying paper, Polyscias was divided into 11 subgenera, with seven species left incertae sedis.
[3] Since Cuphocarpus is no longer an accepted genus, its species will be referred to herein by their names in Polyscias.
[3] Polyscias aculeata (sensu lato) is indigenous to the coastal forest of eastern Madagascar.
[3] Recognizing six species, Frodin and Govaerts (2003) described Cuphocarpus as "shrubs or trees, closely related to Polyscias, but fruits 1-seeded; these latter are moreover surmounted by the persistent calyptroid corolla".
[7][8] Quattrocchi writes that the name is "from the Greek kyphos "bent, curved, humped" and carpos "fruit"".