Anatomical study of the secondary xylem in Araliaceous plants, induding 7 genera and 11 species grown in Korea, was carried out to elucidate the relationship among genera in the family. Wood of Hedera has difbse porous and shows ulmiform pattern of angular vessels, simple perforation plate, and alternate pitting. In addition, its ray is homogeneous type II with only procumbent ray cell. Ring porous wood of Dendropanax shows ulmiform of angular vessels, simple perforation plate, alternate pitting, and heterogeneous type II ray, which has sometimes horizontal secretory cavity. Fatsia has diffuse porous wood, which shows ulmiform of angular vessels, scalariform perforation plate (3-9 bars), scalariform pitting, spiral thickening in the lateral wall of vessel, and heterogeneous type II ray with sheath cells. Kalopanax has ring porous wood, which shows ulmiform of circular vessels, simple perforation plate and alternate pitting, and heterogeneous type II ray. While K pictum appears tylose with septum, K pictum var. maximowczii appears tylose without septum. Echinopanax shows ring porous wood, ulmiform of angular vessels, simple perforation plate, scalariform pitting, and tylose with septum. And the ray of Echinopanax is paedomorphic type I composed of only upright cells. Acanthopanax genus is composed of diffuse porous wood, ulmiform of angular vessels, simple perforation plate and alternate pitting. In this genus, A. sessiliflorus has heterogeneous type II ray, apotracheal axial parenchyma and tylose with septum. A. senticosus appears paedomorphic type I with only upright cells, and tylose with septum. A. koreanum and A. sieboldianum have heterogeneous type II ray but have not tylose. Aralia is composed of ring porous wood, ulmiform of circular vessels, simple perforation plate, alternate pitting, heterogeneous type II ray, and tylose contained both septum and reticulate. On the basis of arrangement, shape, length and diameter of vessel element, the angle of end wall to vessel axis, and ray type, the line of specialization in these genera is as follow: from Fatsia, the most primitive, to the most highly specialized Aralia, throughout Hedera, Acanthopanax, Echinopanax, Dendropanax, and Kalopanax by turns. turns.