[3] The Potamogetonaceae are currently placed in the early diverging monocot order Alismatales by the Angiosperm Phylogeny Group.

So circumscribed, the family currently consists of six genera: Althenia, Groenlandia, Lepilaena, Potamogeton, Stuckenia, and Zannichellia,[4] totalling about 120 species of perennial aquatic plants.

Groenlandia Pseudalthenia Zannichellia Althenia Lepilaena Stuckenia Potamogeton Marine grasses families: Zosteraceae, Cymodoceaceae, Ruppiaceae and Posidoniaceae.

The plants are all aquatic perennial herbs, often with creeping rhizomes and leafy branches.

The flowers are tetramerous: the floral formula (sepals; petals; stamens; carpels) is [4;0;4;4].