The taxonomic placement of Polyalthia florulenta C.Y.Wu ex P.T.Li has not been clarified. Phylogenetic analyses of eight chloroplast regions (matK, ndhF, ndhF-rpl32, psbA-trnH, rbcL, rpl32-trnL, trnL-F and ycf1; ca. 9.2 kb, 66 taxa) unambiguously placed Polyalthia florulenta in a subclade of tribe Miliuseae, sister to Wangia saccopetaloides. Polyalthia flourulenta shares several diagnostic characters with Wangia saccopetaloides, including leaf-opposed inflorescences, sepaloid outer petals and saccate inner petals with basal glandular tissue. It differs from Wangia saccopetaloides in having membranous leaf laminas, single-flowered inflorescences, subglobose single-seeded monocarps, and spiniform endosperm rumination. On the basis of the combined molecular phylogenetic and morphological data, we propose a new combination, Wangia florulenta (C.Y.Wu ex P.T.Li) B.Xue. As the protologue description was based on material lacking mature flowers, we provide a detailed description of flower morphology. A key to species in the genus Wangia is also provided.