In their 1996 monograph, "Pitcher-Plants of Borneo", Anthea Phillipps and Anthony Lamb treated "N. macrophylla" as a species in the process of being described, referring to it as ""Nepenthes macrophylla" (Marabini) Jebb & Cheek ined.". Botanists Matthew Jebb and Martin Cheek had intended to elevate "N. macrophylla" to species status since at least 1994 and did so upon the publication of their 1997 monograph "A skeletal revision of "Nepenthes" (Nepenthaceae)" in the botanical journal "Blumea". This interpretation was supported by Charles Clarke, who noted that "N. edwardsiana" and "N. villosa" "have more in common with each other than do "N. edwardsiana" and "N. macrophylla"".