1	"Sepals (i.e. the perianth segments) < 1.6 mm long; flowers unisexual, the males lacking styles, the females lacking sterile stamens"	"Ptilotus crispus"
1	"Sepals 2-50 mm long; flowers bisexual, or functionally female with sterile stamens"	2
2	"Style centrally placed on the ovary summit"	3
2	"Style excentrically placed on the ovary summit"	61
3	"Leaves glabrous or glabrescent, or mature plants leafless"	4
3	"Leaves persistently hairy"	45
4	"Stems erect"	5
4	"Stems prostrate or decumbent"	34
5	"Staminal cup appendages absent"	6
5	"Staminal cup appendages present"	28
6	"Inner sepals with hairs on adaxial surface or on inner margins"	7
6	"Inner sepals glabrous on adaxial surface"	23
7	"Inner sepals not clawed"	8
7	"Inner sepals clawed"	15
8	"Fertile stamens < 5"	9
8	"Fertile stamens 5"	10
9	Herbs	"Ptilotus leucocoma"
9	"Rigid shrubs"	"Ptilotus barkeri"
10	"Hairs on outer sepals not exceeding sepal apex"	11
10	"Hairs on outer sepals exceeding sepal apex"	13
11	"Inflorescences nodding; staminal cup long and tube-like, 8-11 mm long"	"Ptilotus auriculifolius"
11	"Inflorescences not nodding; staminal cup short, < 1.5 mm long"	12
12	"Bract apex not aristate"	"Ptilotus mitchellii"
12	"Bract apex aristate"	"Ptilotus decipiens"
13	"Bracteoles as long as sepals"	"Ptilotus villosiflorus"
13	"Bracteoles at most half the length of sepals"	14
14	"Stems glabrous, subspinescent; sepals > 5 mm long"	"Ptilotus subspinescens"
14	"Stems persistently white-pubescent with tangled hairs; sepals < 5 mm long"	"Ptilotus brachyanthus"
15	"Flowers not clustered as above"	16
15	"Inflorescence units in corymb- or umbel-like clusters"	22
16	"Staminal filaments narrowly ligulate, dilated into a disc under anthers"	"Ptilotus conicus"
16	"Staminal filaments not as above"	17
17	"Bracts and bracteoles with an awn-like apex"	18
17	"Bracts and bracteoles without an awn-like apex"	19
18	"Inflorescences red; bracteoles 3.5-4 mm long"	"Ptilotus spicatus"
18	"Inflorescences white; bracteoles 4.4-5.2 mm long"	"Ptilotus capitatus"
19	"Leaves 3-12 mm wide"	20
19	"Leaves 0.5-1.5 mm wide"	21
20	"Shrub; sepal apex not exceeded by hairs"	"Ptilotus mitchellii"
20	"Annual herb; sepal apex exceeded by hairs"	"Ptilotus comatus"
21	"Bracts and bracteoles narrow-lanceolate, 3-3.5 mm long"	"Ptilotus lophotrichus"
21	"Bracts and bracteoles ovate, 1-1.3 mm long"	"Ptilotus rotundatus"
22	"Inflorescence units obovoid, in dense umbel-like clusters"	"Ptilotus johnstonianus"
22	"Inflorescence units hemispherical to ovoid, in loose corymbs"	"Ptilotus corymbosus"
23	"Stems woody"	24
23	"Stems herbaceous"	25
24	"Style conspicuously sigmoid"	"Ptilotus chrysocomus"
24	"Style more or less straight"	"Ptilotus arthrolasius"
25	"Inflorescences nodding; staminal cup long and tube-like, 8-11 mm long"	"Ptilotus auriculifolius"
25	"Inflorescences not nodding; stamina cup short and not tube-like"	26
26	"Sepal abaxial surface glabrescent, hairs concentrated at apex"	"Ptilotus decalvatus"
26	"Sepal abaxial surface with persistent hairs at base or throughout"	27
27	"Sepals villous throughout length of abaxial surface"	"Ptilotus lanatus"
27	"Sepals woolly at base of abaxial surface, glabrous at apex"	"Ptilotus gomphrenoides"
28	"Bracteoles longer than sepals"	"Ptilotus latifolius"
28	"Bracteoles shorter than sepals"	29
29	"Staminal cup lobes conspicuously forked"	"Ptilotus capitatus"
29	"Staminal cup lobes not as above"	30
30	"Sepals green; inflorescences > 24 mm wide"	"Ptilotus benlii"
30	"Sepals pink to pale pink or whitish; inflorescences < 20 mm wide"	31
31	"Stems leafless at maturity"	"Ptilotus aphyllus"
31	"Stems with leaves at maturity"	32
32	"Erect slender herbs, 0.5-1.2 m high at maturity; stems often with conspicuous divaricate branching; inflorescences cylindrical or cone-shaped, often weeping with age"	"Ptilotus calostachyus"
32	"Rounded herbs or subshrubs, 0.2-0.5 m high at maturity (rarely prostrate); stems not distinctly divaricately branching; inflorescences globular to ovoid, remaining erect with age"	33
33	"Stems becoming woody; leaves narrow-linear, sparse"	"Ptilotus schwartzii"
33	"Stems herbaceous; leaves lanceolate to spathulate, basally crowded"	"Ptilotus drummondii"
34	"Inner sepals glabrous adaxially"	35
34	"Inner sepals hairy adaxially"	40
35	"Ovary villous-woolly at summit"	"Ptilotus aervoides"
35	"Ovary glabrous"	36
36	"Sepals with uncinate (hooked) apices"	"Ptilotus uncinellus"
36	"Sepals without uncinate (hooked) apices"	37
37	"Sepals conspicuously clawed"	38
37	"Sepals not clawed"	39
38	"Staminal cup appendages absent"	"Ptilotus unguiculatus"
38	"Staminal cup appendages present"	"Ptilotus chamaecladus"
39	"Inflorescences sessile; outer sepals acute; inner sepal midrib region 0.2-0.3 mm wide"	"Ptilotus murrayi"
39	"Inflorescences more or less pedunculate; outer sepals with a rounded apex; inner sepal midrib region 0.5-0.8 mm wide"	"Ptilotus gomphrenoides"
40	"Sepals truncate-serrate"	41
40	"Sepals acute"	42
41	"Sepals 5-7.7 mm long, densely woolly abaxially"	"Ptilotus humilis"
41	"Sepals 3.5-4.5 mm long, sparse silky-hairy abaxially"	"Ptilotus exiliflorus"
42	"Plants mat-forming; stems prostrate, persistently stellate-hairy"	"Ptilotus roei"
42	"Plants not mat-forming; stems decumbent or erect, glabrous or glabrescent"	43
43	"Staminal cup appendages present"	"Ptilotus drummondii"
43	"Staminal cup appendages absent"	44
44	"Sepals conspicuously clawed"	"Ptilotus unguiculatus"
44	"Sepals not clawed"	"Ptilotus esquamatus"
45	"Stems woody or basally woody"	46
45	"Stems herbaceous"	56
46	"Ovary hairy"	47
46	"Ovary glabrous"	51
47	"Stamens longer than sepals"	"Ptilotus helichrysoides"
47	"Stamens shorter than sepals"	48
48	"Leaves strongly discolourous; margins incurved"	"Ptilotus pedleyanus"
48	"Leaves concolourous; margins not incurved"	49
49	"Inflorescences in solitary, terminal spikes; flowers interrupted"	"Ptilotus royceanus"
49	"Inflorescences in dense terminal panicles, flowers not interrupted"	50
50	"Stems and leaves with whitish tomentum; leaves without long silky hairs; spikes globular, axillary and solitary"	"Ptilotus maconochiei"
50	"Stems with yellowish tomentum; leaves with long silvery-silky hairs; spikes in dense, terminal panicles"	"Ptilotus mollis"
51	"Sepal hairs woolly, clearly exceeding apices"	"Ptilotus albidus"
51	"Sepal hairs not woolly, not exceeding apices"	52
52	"Leaves < 20 mm wide"	53
52	"Leaves > 30 mm wide"	55
53	"Leaves narrowly oblanceolate to narrowly elliptical"	"Ptilotus wilsonii"
53	"Leaves ovate to spathulate"	54
54	"Stems and leaves with yellow-villous indumentum of long branching hairs"	"Ptilotus luteolus"
54	"Stems and leaves with grey-green, tomentose indumentum of short branching hairs"	"Ptilotus astrolasius"
55	"Sepals and staminal filaments pink; inflorescences > 30 mm wide"	"Ptilotus rotundifolius"
55	"Sepals creamish-green; staminal filaments white; inflorescences < 21 mm wide"	"Ptilotus marduguru"
56	"Bracts and bracteoles longer than sepals"	"Ptilotus decipiens"
56	"Bracts and bracteoles shorter than sepals"	57
57	"Inner sepals conspicuously clawed"	58
57	"Inner sepals not conspicuously clawed"	59
58	"Leaves narrowly elliptical to narrowly oblanceolate, 3-6 mm wide"	"Ptilotus comatus"
58	"Leaves linear, 0.5-1.5 mm wide"	"Ptilotus rotundatus"
59	"Inflorescences not nodding; flowers pink"	"Ptilotus helipteroides"
59	"Inflorescences nodding; flowers creamish-green"	60
60	"Leaves to 4.5 cm long with velvety indumentum"	"Ptilotus gardneri"
60	"Leaves to 9 cm long with villous indumentum"	"Ptilotus clementii"
61	"Fertile stamens 3-5"	62
61	"Fertile stamens 1 or 2"	128
62	"Ovary hairy"	63
62	"Ovary glabrous"	101
63	Annuals	64
63	Perennials	87
64	"Inner sepals adaxially hairy or with row of hairs on inwardly folding margins"	65
64	"Inner sepals adaxially glabrous"	76
65	"Inflorescences not interrupted"	66
65	"Inflorescences interrupted"	75
66	"Bracts hairy, opaque"	67
66	"Bracts glabrous, translucent"	70
67	"Sepals > 17 mm long"	68
67	"Sepals < 15 mm long"	69
68	"Flowers creamish-green, rarely with pale pink flush; sepals not gaping widely at anthesis, more or less falcately down-curved; ovary not obscured, the hairs at the base of the sepals more or less erect, not forming a woolly plug"	"Ptilotus nobilis"
68	"Flowers purple to pink; sepals gaping widely at anthesis, straight; ovary obscured by a plug of woolly hairs at the base of the sepals"	"Ptilotus exaltatus"
69	"Sepals strongly keeled basally"	"Ptilotus carinatus"
69	"Sepals not strongly keeled basally"	"Ptilotus indivisus"
70	"Flowers green; sepals > 15 mm long"	71
70	"Flowers pink; sepals < 10 mm long"	73
71	"Inflorescence rachis glabrous or with sparse hairs present"	"Ptilotus psilorhachis"
71	"Inflorescence rachis densely villous or tomentose"	72
72	"Perennial herb with a woody taproot (when mature); outer sepals > 1.4 mm wide; abaxial sepal surface with spreading hairs on surface (except glabrous apices); hairs present on adaxial sepal surface; stamina cup hairs present"	"Ptilotus macrocephalus"
72	"Annal or short-lived perennial herb with fleshy taproot; outer sepal < 1.2 mm wide; abaxial sepal surface with short, appressed hairs on the bottom half; hairs absent on adaxial sepal surface; stamina cup hairs absent"	"Ptilotus xerophilus"
73	"Sepals > 6 mm long; staminode > 3 mm long; anthers > 0.6 mm long"	"Ptilotus helipteroides"
73	"Sepals < 5.5 mm long; staminode < 2.6 mm long; anthers < 0.6 mm long"	74
74	"Lateral stems prostrate; staminal cup lobes adjacent to staminode with acute apices; Western Australia"	"Ptilotus actinocladus"
74	"Lateral stems decumbent or ascending; staminal cup lobes adjacent to staminode with rounded or flat apices; New South Wales, Northern Territory, Queensland and South Australia"	"Ptilotus pseudohelipteroides"
75	"Fertile stamens 3; sepals > 7 mm long; inner sepals with basal hairs on interior surface"	"Ptilotus extenuatus"
75	"Fertile stamens 4; sepals  < 6.5 mm long; inner sepals glabrous on interior surface"	"Ptilotus tetrandrus"
76	"Outer sepals much longer than inner sepals"	"Ptilotus trichocephalus"
76	"Outer sepals and inner sepals subequal"	77
77	"Sepals with hairs not restricted to midrib on abaxial surface"	78
77	"Sepals with  hairs restricted to midrib on abaxial surface"	85
78	"Sepal apex truncate-serrate; flowers orange to yellow"	"Ptilotus carlsonii"
78	"Sepal apex acute; flowers creamish-green, sometimes with pale pinkish tinge"	79
79	"Stems prostrate, sprawling; sepals < 6 mm long"	"Ptilotus aervoides"
79	"Stems erect or ascending; sepals > 8 mm long"	80
80	"Ovary with a distinct coma of hairs"	"Ptilotus fusiformis"
80	"Ovary without a distinct coma of hairs"	81
81	"Inflorescences 30-90 mm wide; flowers not opening broadly, radially symmetric; older flowers not upwardly appressed to rachis and without styles protruding, or (rarely) older flowers upwardly appressed to rachis and without styles protruding"	82
81	"Inflorescences 18-28 mm wide; flowers opening broadly, bilaterally symmetric; older flowers upwardly appressed to rachis with styles horizontally protruding"	84
82	"Inflorescence rachis glabrous or with sparse hairs present"	"Ptilotus psilorhachis"
82	"Inflorescence rachis densely villous or tomentose"	83
83	"Perennial herb with a woody taproot (when mature); outer sepals > 1.4 mm wide; abaxial sepal surface with spreading hairs on surface (except glabrous apices); hairs present on adaxial sepal surface; stamina cup hairs present"	"Ptilotus macrocephalus"
83	"Annal or short-lived perennial herb with fleshy taproot; outer sepal < 1.2 mm wide; abaxial sepal surface with short, appressed hairs on the bottom half; hairs absent on adaxial sepal surface; stamina cup hairs absent"	"Ptilotus xerophilus"
84	"Pedicel (i.e. the stalk attaching the bract and flower to the rachis) after abscission squat with a prominent disc at apex; ovary gibbous; staminal cup with sparse, short hairs"	"Ptilotus polystachyus"
84	"Pedicel after abscission slender with a reduced disc at apex; ovary not gibbous; staminal cup with copious, long, silky hair"	"Ptilotus giganteus"
85	"Sepals 10-15 mm long; anthers > 0.9 mm long"	"Ptilotus gaudichaudii"
85	"Sepals 6-9 mm long; anthers < 0.6 mm long"	86
86	"Fertile stamens 3; staminal filaments 4-5 mm long; style > 4 mm long; New South Wales, Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland"	"Ptilotus modestus"
86	"Fertile stamens 4; staminal filaments 2-3 mm long; style < 4 mm long; Western Australia"	"Ptilotus eremita"
87	"Inflorescences not interrupted (flowers in a compact spike-like inflorescence)"	88
87	"Inflorescences interrupted (flowers well-spaced on the rachis)"	98
88	"Stems erect"	89
88	"Stems prostrate or ascending"	97
89	"Stems woody or basally woody"	90
89	"Stems herbaceous"	92
90	"Subshrubs; stem and leaves glabrous; sepals > 20 mm long"	"Ptilotus angustifolius"
90	"Shrubs; stems and leaves with dense tomentose indumentum; sepals < 20 mm long"	91
91	"Mature inflorescences < 2.5 cm long; outer sepal hairs at the base of the sepals 1.2-2.5 mm long"	"Ptilotus obovatus"
91	"Mature inflorescences > 3 cm long; outer sepal hairs at the base of the sepals 0.3-0.6 mm long"	"Ptilotus parviflorus"
92	"Fertile stamens 4"	93
92	"Fertile stamens 3"	94
93	"Bracts glabrous, translucent; sepals not falcate or up-curved"	"Ptilotus beckerianus"
93	"Bracts hairy, opaque; sepals falcately up-curved"	"Ptilotus erubescens"
94	"Interior surface of inner sepals with scattered hairs"	"Ptilotus nobilis"
94	"Interior surface of inner sepals with a dense woolly hairs"	95
95	"Style > 15 mm long"	"Ptilotus exaltatus"
95	"Style < 15 mm long"	96
96	"Basal leaves in rosette oblong-spathulate; cauline leaves few"	"Ptilotus indivisus"
96	"Basal leaves narrowly elliptic or linear-lanceolate; cauline leaves numerous"	"Ptilotus semilanatus"
97	"Basal leaves narrowly lanceolate to linear"	"Ptilotus erubescens"
97	"Basal leaves oblong-spathulate"	"Ptilotus holosericeus"
98	"Rounded shrubs or subshrubs to 0.4 m high; several to many branches"	99
98	"Slender herbs to 1 m high; few, if any, branches"	100
99	"Outer sepals to c. 20 mm long, abaxial surface with hairs that do not exceed the sepal apex; inner sepal adaxial surface with dense woolly hairs"	"Ptilotus dissitiflorus"
99	"Outer sepals < 14 mm long, abaxial surface with hairs that exceeded the sepal apex by 1-2 mm; inner sepal adaxial surface glabrous apart from a few marginal hairs"	"Ptilotus crinitus"
100	"Bract ovate, < 4 mm long; style < 3.5 mm long"	"Ptilotus distans"
100	"Bract narrowly lanceolate, > 5 mm long; style > 5 mm long"	"Ptilotus capensis"
101	"Stems erect"	102
101	"Stems prostrate or decumbent"	118
102	"Leaves glabrous or with sparse hairs not obscuring the surface"	103
102	"Leaves with hairs obscuring surface"	116
103	"Stems herbaceous, not divaricately branching"	104
103	"Stems, woody or basally woody, divaricately branching"	115
104	"Small herb < 8 cm tall; basal rosette of spathulate leaves"	"Ptilotus pyramidatus"
104	"Herbs  > 8 cm tall; leaves not as above"	105
105	"Sepals with hairs restricted to midrib of abaxial surface"	"Ptilotus gaudichaudii"
105	"Sepals with hairs not restricted to midrib abaxial surface"	106
106	"Bracts translucent; fertile stamens 4-5"	107
106	"Bracts opaque; fertile stamens 3"	111
107	"Sepal abaxial surface glabrous apart from basal hairs; flowers pink; fertile stamens 5"	"Ptilotus grandiflorus"
107	"Sepal abaxial surface hairy apart from apex; flowers cream to green; fertile stamens 4"	108
108	"Inflorescences 18-28 mm wide; flowers opening broadly, bilaterally symmetric; older flowers upwardly appressed to rachis with styles horizontally protruding"	"Ptilotus polystachyus"
108	"Inflorescences 30-90 mm wide; flowers not opening broadly, radially symmetric; older flowers not upwardly appressed to rachis and without styles protruding, or (rarely) older flowers upwardly appressed to rachis and without styles protruding"	109
109	"Inflorescence rachis glabrous or with sparse hairs present"	"Ptilotus psilorhachis"
109	"Inflorescence rachis densely villous or tomentose"	110
110	"Perennial herb with a woody taproot (when mature); outer sepals > 1.4 mm wide; abaxial sepal surface with spreading hairs on surface (except glabrous apices); hairs present on adaxial sepal surface; stamina cup hairs present"	"Ptilotus macrocephalus"
110	"Annal or short-lived perennial herb with fleshy taproot; outer sepal < 1.2 mm wide; abaxial sepal surface with short, appressed hairs on the bottom half; hairs absent on adaxial sepal surface; stamina cup hairs absent"	"Ptilotus xerophilus"
111	"Flowers with dense woolly hairs at the interior base of the sepals; flowers purple to pink"	112
111	"Flowers with scattered hairs on the interior surface of sepals; flowers green or with pinkish tinge"	114
112	"Sepals 19-28 mm long; spikes cylindrical, rarely ovoid"	"Ptilotus exaltatus"
112	"Sepals 15-19 mm long; spikes capitate to hemispherical or few-flowered"	113
113	"Leaves < 1.5 mm wide, without sinuate margins (presumed extinct)"	"Ptilotus senarius"
113	"Leaves 2-10 mm wide, with sinuate margins"	"Ptilotus semilanatus"
114	"Branching subshrubs or perennial herbs with branching woody taproot; basal leaves narrow"	"Ptilotus angustifolius"
114	"Annual or perennial herbs with fleshy taproot; basal leaves rarely narrow"	"Ptilotus nobilis"
115	"Sepals white; anthers pink; Western Australia"	"Ptilotus divaricatus"
115	"Sepals pink; anthers yellow; South Australia"	"Ptilotus sp. Arckaringa (D.J.Duval 1958)"
116	"Staminodes absent or obscure"	"Ptilotus eriotrichus"
116	"Staminodes prominent and coloured"	117
117	"Staminodes pink; sepals 12-20 mm long"	"Ptilotus sessilifolius"
117	"Staminodes yellow; sepals 6.5-9.5 mm long"	"Ptilotus incanus"
118	Perennials	119
118	Annuals	126
119	"Sepals, stamens and style very prominently upwardly curved; fertile stamens 4, the staminode conspicuous, to 17 mm long"	"Ptilotus declinatus"
119	"Sepals, stamens and style more or less straight, downwardly curving or not all prominently upwardly curved; all 5 stamens fertile or staminodes short and inconspicuous"	120
120	"Sepals with hairs exceeding the apex"	121
120	"Sepals with hairs not exceeding the apex"	122
121	"Prostrate, creeping or ascending subshrub with stems arising from a rhizome; lacking a basal rosette of leaves; stems many, branching, not all terminating in an inflorescence"	"Ptilotus symonii"
121	"Perennial herb with stems arising from a woody rootstock; basal rosette of leaves prominent; stems few to several, prostrately radiating, rarely branching, with an inflorescence terminating each stem"	"Ptilotus holosericeus"
122	"Inflorescences becoming long-cylindrical; basal leaves distinctly spathulate"	"Ptilotus spathulatus"
122	"Inflorescences mostly ovoid; basal leaves oblanceolate"	123
123	"Plants with stems arising singly and scattered from a hairy rhizome"	"Ptilotus clivicola"
123	"Plants with multiple stems arising from a perennial rootstock"	124
124	"Sepals white to green; bracts prominently sickle-shaped"	"Ptilotus falcatus"
124	"Sepals pink or magenta; bracts not sickle-shaped"	125
125	"Flowering branches longer than the basal leaves; bracts 10-13.5 mm long; bracteole 13-15 mm long; outer sepals 17-28 mm long; anthers 1.0-1.2 mm long; style 4.0-6.5 mm long"	"Ptilotus manglesii"
125	"Basal leaves typically longer than flowering branches and overtopping the inflorescences; bracts 6.8-9.0 mm long; bracteole 6.2-11.5 mm long; outer sepals 9-14.5 mm long; anthers 0.5-0.7 mm long; style 1.4-3.5 mm long"	"Ptilotus davisii"
126	"Outer sepals at least 10 mm longer than inner sepals"	"Ptilotus crosslandii"
126	"Outer and inner sepals similar in size"	127
127	"Sepals with dorsal straight hairs, apex acute"	"Ptilotus procumbens"
127	"Sepals glabrous, apex truncate-serrate"	"Ptilotus grandiflorus"
128	"Ovary hairy"	129
128	"Ovary glabrous"	144
129	"Stems woody or basally woody"	130
129	"Stems herbaceous"	137
130	"Bracts longer than bracteoles"	131
130	"Bracts shorter than bracteoles"	132
131	"Leaves glabrous or glabrescent, in-curved, semi-succulent"	"Ptilotus yapukaratja"
131	"Leaves with persistent verticillate hairs, not as above"	"Ptilotus kenneallyanus"
132	"Stems divaricately branching"	"Ptilotus lazaridis"
132	"Stems with no pattern of branching, i.e. not divaricate"	133
133	"Leaves < 1.6 mm wide, in fascicles"	134
133	"Leaves > 3 mm wide, not in fascicles"	135
134	"Stems glabrous; sepals 11-13 mm long"	"Ptilotus rigidus"
134	"Stems hairy; sepals 15-19 mm long"	"Ptilotus daphne"
135	"Leaves glabrous"	"Ptilotus stipitatus"
135	"Leaves with persistent verticillate hairs"	136
136	"Staminodes sepal-like"	"Ptilotus robynsianus"
136	"Staminodes not sepal-like"	"Ptilotus kenneallyanus"
137	"Inner sepals without basal tuft of hairs inside"	138
137	"Inner sepals with a prominent basal tuft of hairs inside"	140
138	"Bracts longer than bracteoles"	"Ptilotus blackii"
138	"Bracts shorter than bracteoles"	139
139	"Leaves mostly glabrous"	"Ptilotus axillaris"
139	"Leaves with persistent villous indumentum"	"Ptilotus appendiculatus"
140	"Leaves with persistent verticillate hairs on adaxial surface to 2 mm long"	"Ptilotus andersonii"
140	"Leaves glabrous or glabrescent"	141
141	"Sepal apex subspathulately dilated"	"Ptilotus chippendalei"
141	"Sepal apex not subspathulately dilated"	142
142	"Stems prostrate, few branching; flowers green"	"Ptilotus seminudus"
142	"Stems erect, tufted; flowers pink"	143
143	"Sepals > 10 mm long; bracts and bracteoles 5-8.5 mm long; style 3-4 mm long"	"Ptilotus aristatus subsp. aristatus"
143	"Sepals < 11 mm long; bracts and bracteoles 3.5-5 mm long; style 1.6-2.2 mm long"	"Ptilotus aristatus subsp. micranthus"
144	"Stems woody or basally woody"	145
144	"Stems herbaceous"	154
145	"Leaves sessile or subsessile"	146
145	"Leaves petiolate"	151
146	"Stems prostrate, mat-forming; leaves crowded at the base of the stem"	147
146	"Stems erect or ascending; leaves not crowded at the base of the stem"	148
147	"Sepals > 8 mm long, apices rounded"	"Ptilotus fasciculatus"
147	"Sepals < 7 mm long, apices not rounded (presumed extinct)"	"Ptilotus caespitulosus"
148	"Inflorescences < 10-flowered"	149
148	"Inflorescences 10-many-flowered"	150
149	"Sepals < 10 mm long"	"Ptilotus disparilis"
149	"Sepals > 15 mm long"	"Ptilotus beardii"
150	"Bracteole colour cream to white; sepals keeled at the base"	"Ptilotus propinquus"
150	"Bracteole colour straw to golden-brown; sepals not keeled at the base"	"Ptilotus parvifolius"
151	"Stems and leaves pilose hairy"	"Ptilotus remotiflorus"
151	"Stems and leaves glabrous"	152
152	"Sepals with short hairs to the apex"	"Ptilotus whitei"
152	"Sepal apex glabrous for 0.5-5 mm of sepal length"	153
153	"Glabrous portion of outer sepal apices 3-5 mm long; bracts more or less equal in length to bracteoles; style 6-10 mm long"	"Ptilotus polakii subsp. polakii"
153	"Glabrous portion of outer sepal apices 1-2 mm long; bracts shorter than bracteoles; style 4-5.5 mm long"	"Ptilotus polakii subsp. juxta"
154	"Fertile stamen 1"	"Ptilotus alexandri"
154	"Fertile stamens 2"	155
155	"Adaxial surface of inner sepals with a basal tuft of hairs"	156
155	"Adaxial surface of inner sepals more or less glabrous"	161
156	"Leaves thick, semi-succulent to succulent; flowers green or with tinge of pink or red; sepals with short, appressed hairs on abaxial surface"	157
156	"Leaves flat, not semi-succulent or succulent; flowers pink to purple; sepals with long, spreading hairs on abaxial surface"	160
157	"Inflorescences with flowers loosely arranged on the rachis, narrowly cylindrical to rod-like, >= 60 mm long; bracts and bracteoles with blackened appearance; outer sepals < 4.5 mm long, apex margins broad and truncate and glabrous for > 20% of sepal surface; inner sepals < 4.3 mm long"	"Ptilotus sp. Kalgoorlie (J. Jackson & B. Moyle 260)"
157	"Inflorescences with flowers tightly arranged on the rachis, ovoid to cylindrical, < 50 mm long; bracts and bracteoles brown or straw-coloured, fading with age; outer sepals > 5.0 mm long, apex margins folded to appear acute or rounded and glabrous for < 20% of sepal surface; inner sepals > 4.5 mm long"	158
158	"Flowering stems 15-25(-50) mm long; bracts < 4 mm long, nearly < 0.5 mm longer than bracteoles, tip tapering to ~0.3 mm point; bracteoles < 3.4 mm long, tip tapering to ~0.5 mm point; style < 4.1 mm long, deeply sinuate and dark pink or reddish at apex"	"Ptilotus chortophytus"
158	"Flowering stem 50-150 mm long; bracts ≥ 5 mm long, > 1 mm longer than bracteoles, tip tapering to ~1 mm point; bracteoles > 3.7 mm long, tip tapering to ~1 mm point; style > 4.2 mm long, straight to slightly wavy, cream-coloured throughout"	159
159	"Bracts 6.0-6.5 mm long; bracteoles 4.7-5.0 mm long; sepal apex colour yellow-green; inner surface of inner sepals with woolly hairs ~1 mm long; staminal filaments < 3 mm long; stigma sitting > 1 mm higher than anthers at anthesis; anthers red"	"Ptilotus sp. Cue (P. Armstrong PA 16/362)"
159	"Bracts 5.0-5.6 mm long; bracteoles 3.8-4.0 mm long; sepal apex colour ferruginous or red; inner surface of inner sepals with woolly hairs ~1.5 mm long; staminal filaments > 3.5 mm long, stigma at more or less the same height as anthers at anthesis; anthers cream"	"Ptilotus sp. Kookynie (J. Jackson & B. Moyle 261)"
160	"Plants decumbent; bracts 1.8-4.5 mm long; bracteoles 3-5 mm long"	"Ptilotus stirlingii subsp. stirlingii"
160	"Plants prostrate; bracts 5.3-6 mm long; bracteoles 5.4-6.3 mm long"	"Ptilotus stirlingii subsp. australis"
161	"Sepals with uncinate (hooked) apices"	"Ptilotus uncinellus"
161	"Sepals without uncinate (hooked) apices"	162
162	"Staminodes conspicuous, c. 2 mm long"	"Ptilotus halophilus"
162	"Staminodes minute or absent"	163
163	"Bracts 4-5.7 mm long"	"Ptilotus sericostachyus subsp. sericostachyus"
163	"Bracts 6.5-7 mm long"	"Ptilotus sericostachyus subsp. roseus"