Some authors suggested (Capuron, ined. ms.; Schatz, Generic Tree Flora of Madagascar) that the Mascarene genus Fernelia might better be circumscribed more broadly to include the related genera Canephora, Flagenium, Galiniera, Gallienia and Lemyrea. However Stone & Davis (2004) reviewed all of these genera and provisionally separated and recognized all of them.
Gallienia includes one species from Madagascar, and is characterized by its petioles articulated at the base, sharply triangular interpetiolar stipules, axillary inflorescences, solitary or fasciculate bisexual flowers with 4 calyx lobes, corolla lobes, and stamens, white to pink funnelform corollas, long narrow anthers dorifixed near the middle on very short filaments, deeply divided stigmas that generally remain pressed together, 2-locular ovaries, and red fruits with several discoid seeds, each of these an indentation on one side, a finely striate testa, and entire (i.e., not ruminate) endosperm. The flower peduncles are often borne on a short, woody, perhaps persistent flowering basal stem or short-shoot.