This species belongs to the part of the "Heteropsychotria" group of Psychotria that corresponds to Palicourea. It will be accepted here in that genus when its species group is studied in detail (Barbosa & Taylor, in prep.) and nomenclature fully confirmed, and for now is here treated in Psychotria. The nomenclature and correct name have long been confused.
The confusion has been due in part to confusion of the names Psychotria umbellata Vell. from Brazil with Psychotria umbellata Thonn. of Africa, in part due to additional names that have been overlooked, and in part due to people studying this species in different regions without noting that various names apply to the same species. The analysis of Lauchenaud (2017) found that the African name was published earlier, so the name Psychotira umbellata Vell. is an illegitimate later homonym. This name problem was noted by Mueller, who published a replacement name for this species, Psychotria arrabidae. However Mueller also named this same species again in the same work as Mapouria brachypoda, and the epithet 'brachypoda" was taken up by some subsequent authors while the epithet "arribidae" was overlooked by some, but used by others. Lachenaud (2017) noted that Smith & Downs formally synonymized Psychotria arribidae with Palicourea brachypoda, thus formally choosing one of these simultaneously published epithets.