[1] The species epithet papillosa refers to the raised uneven tubercles found on the plant.

[2] The species was originally described as Anastrophyllum papillosum, until when the Anastrophyllum subgenus Schizophyllum was elevated to genus status by Jiří Váňa and Lars Söderström in 2013, and the species was briefly known as Schizophyllum papillosum.

The species is visually similar to Anastrophyllum auritum, and can be differentiated by sparse lateral intercalary branching.

[5] Schizophyllopsis papillosa is endemic to New Zealand, with the holotype of the species occurring above 1,350 m (4,430 ft) in the vicinity of Soda Springs in Tongariro National Park.

[5] The species has been identified in alpine areas of Mount Taranaki and the Southern Alps.