Abstract: The history of systematic position of Acorus L. is introduced in the present paper. The evidences from morphology, anatomy, embryology, cytology, chemotaxonomy and molecular biology which support the removal of Acorus from Araceae to an independent family(Acoraceae C. A. Agardh) are reviewed. The advances in systematic relationships between Acoraceae and other angiosperms are also summarized.

Key words: Acorus, Acoraceae, Araceae, systematics