abstract: Some selected physical, chemical and physico-chemical properties of carbonate rendzinas originating from cretaceous formations found in the area of the Lublin Upland, covered with natural xerothermic sward, consisting of three subtypes, i.e.: proper, chernozemic and brown rendzinas (further to the Systematics of the Polish Society of Soil Science of 1989) are compared in the study. The above comparison was based on the mean results of analyses carried out for analogous genetic levels of the profiles studied which represented various subtypes. Among the subtypes studied, brown rendzinas were most distinguished (by the occurrence of the Bbr level, higher content of colloidal clay, lower pH, lower content of carbonates which reacted with HCl and within the carbonate group, by a higher share of active carbonates and higher water capacity combined with the lowest volumetric density). The proper and chernozemic rendzinas studied had similar properties. In the present work, an attempt to classify the rendzinas studied according to the FAO/UNESCO Soil Systematics of 1997 and further to the World Reference Base for Soil Resources of 1998 (WRB) was also undertaken. The equivalent of chernozemic rendzina in the WRB systematics is Rendzic-Humic Leptosols. The above classification is based on the percentage share of organic C in the layer of up to 25 cm which the present authors think worth considering in the Systematics of Polish Soils; the brown rendzinas studied fulfill the criteria for Mollic Leptosols as defined the FAO/UNESCO Soil Systematics, and in the WRB classification, the criteria for Lepti-Calcaric Cambisols. Since the saturation level of the sorption complex with bases was above 97% in the whole profile of the brown rendzinas studied, which points to the lithogenic character of these soils, the present authors postulate that a new unit of a lower level in the LEPTOSOLS group should be distinguished which would include brown rendzinas, whereas the criterion for the CAMBISOLS should be left as the saturation of the sorption complex with bases in the B-cambic level below 50%.