Abstract: MADS-box genes encode a family of transcriptional factors that play a key role in controlling flower development in angiosperms. In this review, we use Arabidopsis thaliana and Oryza sativa as examples, and summarize the study results of floral homeotic MADS-box genes in two major groups of angiosperms — core eudicots and monocots — over the past decade. Our aim was to review the functional conservation and diversity of floral homeotic MADS-box genes in angiosperms and discuss whether the ABCDE model has been conserved in monocotyledons.