The identity of this species has been interpreted variously by different authors. Zappi and collaborators circumscribed Psychotria carthagensis very broadly to include several species that are separated here. Delprete, Lachenaud, and collaborators have separated some of these, but have applied the name Psychotria guianensis to the plants included here plus the plants here separated as Psychotria pedunculosa, apparently based in part on Zappi et al.'s species circumscriptions. Here, these plants are separated based on stipule form details, inflorescence arrangement including pedicel development, and flower and fruit size; for details see Taylor et al. (2020).
The name Psychotria guianensis has been published illegitmately several times by different authors, sometimes with a different basionym and thus with reference to other species.