Abstract: Leaf anatomy of six genera was investigated. The petiole of Brasenia schreberi possesses a pair of bundles, the other five possess closed, scattered vascular bundles, resembling those of the Monocotyledons. True vessels are absent. Air passages are present in the ground tissue of the petiole except for Nuphar pumilum. Leaves are all dorsiventral. Stomatal apparatuses of the Ranunculaceous type are generally confined to the upper surface of the lamina, but fewer stomata are found on the lower surface of the lamina of Nelumbo nucifera. The stomatal apparatuses of Nelumbo nucifera are of the Haplocheilic type in development, but of the Ranunculaceous type at maturity. Hydathodes and sclerenchymatous idioblasts are present only in Nelumbo nucifera. Glandular hairs and hydropotens occur on the lower surface of the lamina in all the investigated species except Nelumbo nucifera. Astrosclereids are present in all the taxa except Brasenia schreberi and Nelumbo nucifera. According to observations we consider that the genus Brasenia is a primitive one in Nymphaeaceae and it has a close phylogenetic relationship with Cabomba. They may be treated as an independent family, Cabombaceae, which is better included in the order Nymphaeales. Nymphaea, Nuphar, Euryale and Victoria are closely related to one another and should be retained in the family Nymphaeaceae. Nelumbo shows, specialized features distinct from those of the rest of the Nymphaeaceae. It should be segregatednot only as a distinct family but also as a distinct order, Nelumboales.

Key words: Nymphaeaceae , Leaf, Comparative anatomy