"Polyscias maraisiana" has been the subject of some nomenclatural instability. In 1984, Wessel Marais separated it from "Gastonia cutispongia" as "Gastonia mauritiana". In 2003, it was shown that the correct name for this species was "Gastonia elegans" because it had first been described in 1866 as "Terminalia elegans". This description was a large and unexpected taxonomic error because "Terminalia" is in the Myrtalean family Combretaceae. In 2010, when this species was transferred to "Polyscias", the specific epithet had to be changed again because the names "Polyscias mauritiana" and "Polyscias elegans" already existed. The latter two are in the "Polyscias" subgenera Grotefendia and Tieghemopanax, respectively.