In 1790, notable pioneer botanist João de Loureiro described this genus as Helicia in his publication Flora Cochinchinensis.

[1][2] The genus name derives from the Greek word "έλιξ" (élix), which refers to the petals, now called tepals, spirally revolving or simply rolling or coiling up on themselves, at anthesis (the flowering time when the anthers open).

[8][9][10] In the late 1800s and early 1900s Frederick M. Bailey concentrated further on additional Queensland species, writing descriptions of them in numerous scientific papers.

[16] From 1969 to the late 1990s botanist Don B. Foreman, who was based in Papua New Guinea and Australia, collected numerous additional species, which he formally described before he wrote the comprehensive reviews and flora treatments for the two regions;[17][18][19][20] notably in the authoritative Handbooks of the Flora of Papua New Guinea (1978–1995, to date 3 volumes), he wrote the chapters for Proteaceae and other families;[21] and in the authoritative Flora of Australia (1981–, 60 volume series) he wrote the treatment of Helicia.

[24][25][26] Lawrie Johnson and Barbara G. Briggs grouped Helicia with Xylomelum in the subtribe Heliciinae, tribe Helicieae, and subfamily Grevilleoideae in their 1975 monograph "On the Proteaceae: the evolution and classification of a southern family".

H. cochinchinensis has the natural distribution reaching furthest north to Japan where it grows into trees in the mountains of warmer parts and where no other species nor other Proteaceae genera occur.

The same Japanese name Yama-mogashi (山もがし) for this species, also means the whole genus and the entire Proteaceae plant family.