In 1977, William R. Philipson transferred two Australian species, "Polyscias bellendenkerensis" and "Polyscias willmottii" into "Polyscias" from "Pentapanax". He found the distinction between "Arthrophyllum" and "Eremopanax" to be artificial, and in 1978, he united the two genera under the name "Arthrophyllum". In 1979, he covered Araliaceae for Flora Malesiana. In 1995, he covered Araliaceae, except "Schefflera", for a flora of New Guinea. His treatment of "Arthrophyllum" was largely followed in a checklist and nomenclator for Araliaceae that was compiled by Frodin and Govaerts in 2003.