This species and the closely related S. suffruticosus are unusual woody shrubs from Madagascar; they are both classified as being within Section Lignostreptocarpus of subgenus Streptocarpus, despite their robustly stemmed habit. Recent genetic analyses have led to an understanding that this Section is actually kin to the typically rosulate members of Section Streptocarpus, despite having a stemmed habit that appears to ally them to species in Section Streptocarpella.
The small cup-shaped flowers are characteristic of the Section.
