Corsia is classified under the family Corsiaceae of the order Liliales.
It is one of the three genera currently classified under Corsiaceae, the other two being Corsiopsis of China and Arachnitis of South America.
It differs from the latter two in having several shoots arising from creeping rhizomes.

Corsia was first described in 1877 by the Italian naturalist Odoardo Beccari from specimens from New Guinea.
He named it after the Marquis Bardo Corsi Salviati.
It was classified under Burmanniaceae by the English botanist George Bentham in 1883 and grouped together with orchids (family Orchidaceae).

In 1938, Fredrik Pieter Jonker separated Arachnitis and Corsia from Burmanniaceae based on their strongly zygomorphic floral characteristics.
Kores et al. (
1978) also separated Corsia from Burmanniaceae after comparing the chromosome numbers of C. cornuta and C. clypeata (2n = 18) with the rest of Burmanniaceae (2n=32 to 136).
Dahlgren & Clifford (1982) tentatively reclassified Corsiaceae as closer to lilies (order Liliales) than to orchids.
Cribb et al. (
1995) noted the significant differences between Corsia and the only other member of Corsiaceae then - Arachnitis.
In 1996, Ibisch et al.
challenged the monophyly of Corsiaceae, positing that Arachnitis may actually be more closely related to Orchidaceae than Corsia and recommended the separation of the former into its own family, Arachnitaceae.

Corsiopsis was discovered in 1999 by Zhang et al.
and became the third genus included in the family Corsiaceae.
Zhang also remarked that Corsiopsis seem to be more closely related to Corsia than to Arachnitis.
Based on phylogenetic studies and reexamination of previous morphological studies, Neyland & Hennigan  (2003) concluded that Corsia is not closely related to Arachnitis.
The former probably has closer affinities with Campynemataceae of Liliales, while the latter may be more closely related to Thismia and/or Burmannia of Dioscoreales.
However, Chase et al. (
2006) concluded that Arachnitis falls within Liliales while Rudall & Eastman (2002) puts Corsia closer to either Campynemataceae or Thismia.
As such, the taxonomic placement of Corsia and Corsiaceae remains problematic though they have been tentatively included in Liliales.

Corsia contains two sections, Unguiculatis and Sessilis, with 25 species.
They are listed below along with their distribution ranges:
Section Unguiculatis P.Royen
Corsia acuminata L.O.Williams (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia cornuta P.Royen (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia purpurata L.O.Williams (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia triceratops P.Royen (Yapen Island)
Corsia unguiculata Schltr. (
Papua New Guinea)
Corsia wiakabui (W.N.Takeuchi & Pipoly) D.L.Jones & B.Gray (southern New Ireland, Papua New Guinea)
Section Sessilis P.Royen
Corsia arfakensis Gibbs (Western New Guinea, including Yapen Island)
Corsia boridiensis P.Royen (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia brassii P.Royen (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia clypeata P.Royen  (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia cordata Schltr. (
Papua New Guinea)
Corsia crenata J.J.Sm. (
Indonesia)
Corsia cyclopensisP.Royen  (Papua New Guinea and Indonesia)
Corsia dispar D.L.Jones & B.Gray (Herberton Range in Queensland, Australia)
Corsia haianjensis P.Royen (Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands)
Corsia huonensis P.Royen (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia lamellata Schltr. (
Papua New Guinea)
Corsia merimantaensis P.Royen (New Guinea)
Corsia ornata Becc. (
Papua New Guinea)
Corsia papuana P.Royen (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia pyramidata P.Royen (Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands)
Corsia resiensis P.Royen (Western New Guinea)
Corsia torricellensis Schltr. (
Northeast Papua New Guinea)
Corsia viridopurpurea P.Royen (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia wubungu P.Royen (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia is classified under the family Corsiaceae of the order Liliales. It is one of the three genera currently classified under Corsiaceae, the other two being Corsiopsis of China and Arachnitis of South America. It differs from the latter two in having several shoots arising from creeping rhizomes.
Corsia was first described in 1877 by the Italian naturalist Odoardo Beccari from specimens from New Guinea. He named it after the Marquis Bardo Corsi Salviati. It was classified under Burmanniaceae by the English botanist George Bentham in 1883 and grouped together with orchids (family Orchidaceae).
In 1938, Fredrik Pieter Jonker separated Arachnitis and Corsia from Burmanniaceae based on their strongly zygomorphic floral characteristics. Kores et al. (1978) also separated Corsia from Burmanniaceae after comparing the chromosome numbers of C. cornuta and C. clypeata (2n = 18) with the rest of Burmanniaceae (2n=32 to 136). Dahlgren & Clifford (1982) tentatively reclassified Corsiaceae as closer to lilies (order Liliales) than to orchids. Cribb et al. (1995) noted the significant differences between Corsia and the only other member of Corsiaceae then - Arachnitis. In 1996, Ibisch et al. challenged the monophyly of Corsiaceae, positing that Arachnitis may actually be more closely related to Orchidaceae than Corsia and recommended the separation of the former into its own family, Arachnitaceae.
Corsiopsis was discovered in 1999 by Zhang et al. and became the third genus included in the family Corsiaceae. Zhang also remarked that Corsiopsis seem to be more closely related to Corsia than to Arachnitis. Based on phylogenetic studies and reexamination of previous morphological studies, Neyland & Hennigan  (2003) concluded that Corsia is not closely related to Arachnitis. The former probably has closer affinities with Campynemataceae of Liliales, while the latter may be more closely related to Thismia and/or Burmannia of Dioscoreales. However, Chase et al. (2006) concluded that Arachnitis falls within Liliales while Rudall & Eastman (2002) puts Corsia closer to either Campynemataceae or Thismia. As such, the taxonomic placement of Corsia and Corsiaceae remains problematic though they have been tentatively included in Liliales.
Corsia contains two sections, Unguiculatis and Sessilis, with 25 species. They are listed below along with their distribution ranges:
Section Unguiculatis P.Royen
Corsia acuminata L.O.Williams (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia cornuta P.Royen (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia purpurata L.O.Williams (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia triceratops P.Royen (Yapen Island)
Corsia unguiculata Schltr. (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia wiakabui (W.N.Takeuchi & Pipoly) D.L.Jones & B.Gray (southern New Ireland, Papua New Guinea)
Section Sessilis P.Royen
Corsia arfakensis Gibbs (Western New Guinea, including Yapen Island)
Corsia boridiensis P.Royen (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia brassii P.Royen (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia clypeata P.Royen  (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia cordata Schltr. (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia crenata J.J.Sm. (Indonesia)
Corsia cyclopensisP.Royen  (Papua New Guinea and Indonesia)
Corsia dispar D.L.Jones & B.Gray (Herberton Range in Queensland, Australia)
Corsia haianjensis P.Royen (Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands)
Corsia huonensis P.Royen (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia lamellata Schltr. (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia merimantaensis P.Royen (New Guinea)
Corsia ornata Becc. (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia papuana P.Royen (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia pyramidata P.Royen (Papua New Guinea and Solomon Islands)
Corsia resiensis P.Royen (Western New Guinea)
Corsia torricellensis Schltr. (Northeast Papua New Guinea)
Corsia viridopurpurea P.Royen (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia wubungu P.Royen (Papua New Guinea)
Corsia