1	"Aquatic plants, floating free on or near the water surface, not rooting in substrate"	2
1	"Land or aquatic plants, if aquatic and with floating leaves then rooting in substrate"	3
2	"Plant consisting of small (less than 1 cm long) flat or flattened ovoid leaf or thallus, with or without simple roots from undersurface; plants readily reproducing vegetatively by lateral buds; flowers produced in small pits on upper surface, microscopic and rarely observed"	Araceae
2	"Plants conspicuous, with leaves c. 5 cm long or more, the petioles much inflated and spongy, roots abundant, feathery; flowers conspicuous (c. 5 cm diam.), mauve, produced in spikes"	Pontederiaceae
3	"Marine aquatics, or aquatics of non-marine habitats with leaves permanently submerged, but inflorescence sometimes emergent from water"	4
3	"Terrestrial or semi-aquatic plants, or aquatics with leaves floating or emergent from water"	12
4	"Plants of marine or brackish habitats"	5
4	"Plants of fresh water"	10
5	"Leaves ligulate"	6
5	"Leaves without ligules"	8
6	"Plants of brackish habitats (including estuaries, rarely extending to the intertidal zone); leaves 1 mm wide or less; flowers unisexual, solitary or clustered in axils"	"Potamogetonaceae {Althenia}"
6	"Marine plants of deep waters and rock-pools; leaves at least 4 mm wide"	7
7	"Leaf blade and sheath shed leaving a circular scar; flowers unisexual, enclosed within leaf-sheaths"	"Cymodoceaceae {Amphibolis}"
7	"Leaf blade shed but sheath persistent and fibrous; flowers bisexual, in several terminal spikes"	"Posidoniaceae {Posidonia}"
8	"Leaves elliptic to ovate, c. 1 cm wide or more; flowers with perianth (males with 3 segments, females with 6)"	Hydrocharitaceae
8	"Leaves narrow linear, to 1 mm wide; flowers without perianth"	9
9	"Flowers bisexual, borne at the end of a long, spirally coiled peduncle"	Ruppiaceae
9	"Flowers unisexual, in short spikes, remaining enclosed in sheathing leaf-bases"	Zosteraceae
10	"Flowers bisexual, in emergent spikes; perianth segments 4"	"Potamogetonaceae {Potamogeton}"
10	"Flowers unisexual, remaining submerged; perianth segments 0, 3 or 6"	11
11	"Leaves ovate to linear, mostly much more than 1 mm wide, but if ever less, then with finely toothed margins"	Hydrocharitaceae
11	"Leaves narrow-linear, less than 1 mm wide, with entire margins"	"Potamogetonaceae {Althenia}"
12	"Flowers lacking perianth, packed in thickish spike, subtended and partially enclosed by a tubular bract (spathe), margins overlapping or connate at base; apical part of spike male only or with a sterile appendix, lower part of spike female or bisexual; fleshy usually rhizomatous herb, usually near swamps or watercourses"	Araceae
12	"Flowers with a perianth or if perianth lacking, flowers not arranged in spatheate spikes"	13
13	"Flowers unisexual"	14
13	"Flowers bisexual"	24
14	"Flowers inconspicuous, often minute, subtended (and often enclosed by) paired or solitary, overlapping bracts or scales, in heads or spikelets; perianth absent or of 1–8 scales or bristles, usually concealed within bracts"	15
14	"Flowers conspicuous (but not always coloured), or if inconspicuous at least with distinct perianth parts"	20
15	"Male and female flowers small, mixed in spherical heads 2–8 mm diam., lacking conspicuous bracts; mostly marsh or aquatic plants"	"Eriocaulaceae {Eriocaulon}"
15	"Flowers in spikelets surrounded by glume-like bracts"	16
16	"Wiry plants with jointed stems; leaves reduced to sheathing bracts (bracts overlapping at base); male and female plants separate (except sometimes in Lepyrodia)"	Restionaceae
16	"Leaves well developped, or if ever reduced to sheathing bracts then these fused at the base and plants with both male and female flowers or flowers bisexual"	17
17	"Tiny, tufted annuals; male and female flowers mixed in terminal heads subtended and exceeded by 2–6 equal or subequal bracts"	18
17	"Habit various; if inflorescence ever a terminal head then flowers bisexual"	19
18	"Inflorescence green or greenish, with a pair of prominent, erect sheathing bracts enclosing the flowers and their small, membranous, subtending bracts"	Restionaceae
18	"Inflorescence red, flower cluster subtended by 4–6 more or less equal sheathing bracts, individual flowers (ovaries and stamens) not subtended by bracts"	"Hydatellaceae {Trithuria}"
19	"Flowers arranged in cylindric or distichous spikelets or spikes (rarely 1-flowered), rarely subtended by a pair of sterile bracts; individual flowers subtended by a solitary bract (glume); leaf-sheath usually with fused margins; stems cylindric, flattened or 3-sided, with solid internodes (sedges)"	Cyperaceae
19	"Flowers arranged in distichous (sometimes 1-flowered) spikelets, usually subtended by a pair of sterile bracts (glumes); individual flowers enclosed by a pair of bracts (lemma and palea), or if ever only one bract present, then fertile flowers only 1 per spikelet; leaf-sheath usually with free margins; stems usually cylindric, with hollow internodes (grasses)"	Poaceae
20	"Plants monoecious, male flowers borne above females in inflorescence; aquatic or semi-aquatic plants"	21
20	"Plants dioecious; mostly terrestrial"	22
21	"Perianth segments not petaloid; flowers sessile, in spikes or globular clusters; leaves linear, flattened or triangular in cross-section"	Typhaceae
21	"Perianth segments in 2 distinct whorls, the outermost petaloid; flowers pedicellate, whorled; at least the emergent leaves with a distinct ovate to sagittate blade"	Alismataceae
22	"Climbers, usually with retrorse spines along stems; leaves ovate, with prominent reticulate venation; eastern Victoria only"	Smilacaceae
22	"Non-climbers, or, if plants every climbing then venation linear, lacking prominent reticulate venation"	23
23	"Leaves well-developed; perianth segments more or less membranous or somewhat fleshy; fruit containing 1–few seeds"	"Asparagales-Liliales complex"
23	"Leaves reduced to sheathing bracts; perianth segments scarious; fruit containing many small seeds"	Juncaceae
24	"Carpels not fused or shortly united at base only"	25
24	"Carpels united for the greater part or carpel solitary"	30
25	"Tufted annuals or perennials, less than 10 cm high; land plants (but often growing near water)"	26
25	"Perennials, more than 10 cm high; aquatic or marsh plants"	27
26	"Inflorescence green or greenish, with a pair of prominent, erect sheathing bracts enclosing the flowers and their small, membranous, subtending bracts"	Restionaceae
26	"Inflorescence red, flower cluster subtended by 4–6 more or less equal sheathing bracts, individual flowers (ovaries and stamens) not subtended by bracts"	"Hydatellaceae {Trithuria}"
27	"Flowers borne in once-forked spikes; perianth of a single white segment; anthers 6–12, purple; carpels 3–6"	"Aponogetonaceae {Aponogeton}"
27	"Flowers borne in simple spikes or panicles; perianth of 3 or more segments (but inconspicuous in Juncaginaceae)"	28
28	"Perianth segments, stamens and carpels each 4"	"Potamogetonaceae {Potamogeton}"
28	"Perianth segments, stamens and carpels not each 4"	29
29	"Perianth segments in 2 distinct whorls, the outermost petaloid; at least the emergent leaves with a distinct ovate to sagittate blade"	Alismataceae
29	"Perianth segments all similar, not petaloid; leaves linear, terete or strap-shaped"	Juncaginaceae
30	"Ovary superior or perianth of petals and/or sepals absent"	31
30	"Ovary inferior, perianth well-developed"	45
31	"Flowers inconspicuous, often minute, within imbricate bracts or scales (glumes), in spikelets; perianth absent or of 18 scales or bristles, usually concealed within bracts (chiefly grasses and sedges)"	32
31	"Flowers conspicuous (but not always coloured), or if inconspicuous at least with distinct perianth parts rather than scales or bristles"	35
32	"Tiny, tufted plants; male and female flowers mixed in terminal heads subtended and exceeded by 2–6 equal or subequal bracts; individual flowers sometimes separated by a minute membranous bract; fruit a dehiscent, 1-seeded capsule"	33
32	"Plants various, if ever male and female flowers mixed in heads then bracts (glumes) separating individual flowers conspicuous; fruit indehiscent, 1-seeded"	34
33	"Inflorescence green or greenish, with a pair of prominent, erect sheathing bracts enclosing the flowers; individual flowers separated by a minute membranous bract"	Restionaceae
33	"Inflorescence reddish, with 2 or 3 pairs of equal sheathing bracts enclosing the flowers; individual flowers not subtended by bracts"	"Hydatellaceae {Trithuria}"
34	"Flowers arranged in cylindric or distichous spikelets or spikes (rarely 1-flowered), rarely subtended by a pair of sterile bracts; individual flowers subtended by a solitary bract (glume); leaf-sheath usually with fused margins; stems cylindric, flattened or 3-sided (sedges)"	Cyperaceae
34	"Flowers arranged in distichous (sometimes 1-flowered) spikelets, usually subtended by a pair of sterile bracts (glumes); individual flowers enclosed by a pair of bracts (lemma and palea), or if ever only one bract present, then fertile flowers only 1 per spikelet; leaf-sheath usually with free margins; stems usually cylindric, with hollow internodes (grasses)"	Poaceae
35	"Perianth segments 4 (inner pair small); stamen 1; uncommon yellow-flowered, tufted semi-aquatic"	"Philydraceae {Philydrum}"
35	"Perianth segments 6"	36
36	"Leaves compound; stems massive, woody, erect and undivided (palms)"	Arecaceae
36	"Leaves simple or absent"	37
37	"Perianth sepaloid (green, brown or translucent)"	38
37	"Perianth petaloid (white or coloured), but sometimes segments small"	39
38	"Carpels fused; style solitary, with 3 stigmas"	Juncaceae
38	"Carpels free or nearly so; stigmas sessile"	Juncaginaceae
39	"Stamens 3"	40
39	"Stamens 6 (sometimes 3 much longer than others)"	43
40	"Rhizome bright red; leaves tufted, linear, to 1.2 m long, plicate; scape up to 2.5 m tall; inflorescence a dense cylindircal panicle, with numerous yellow flowers; style and lowermost anther turned sideways"	"Haemodoraceae {Wachendorfia}"
40	"Rhizome absent or not conspicuously bright red, but if ever somewhat reddish, neither with leaves long and plicate nor with scape approaching 2 m high"	41
41	"Inner perianth segments united; flowers short-lived with yellowish, tissue-like petals; inflorescence a dense spherical head on an undivided, wiry scape"	"Xyridaceae {Xyris}"
41	"Inner perianth segments free; other features in combination not as above"	42
42	"Tufted plants, stems commonly annual, or if prostrate, scrambling or twining, then either leafless or leaves sessile; rhizomatous or with a bulbous or cormous rootstock; inflorescence a raceme or panicle, not subtended by spathe-like bracts"	"Asparagales-Liliales complex"
42	"Prostrate, scrambling, much-branched plant with perennial, succulent stems; leaves ovate with sheathing petioles; rooting readily from nodes; inflorescence of 1ew flowers subtended by a single or pair of spathe-like bracts"	Commelinaceae
43	"Aquatic plants; flowers mauve and yellow in a terminal spike-like raceme; leaf-blade ovate, on long petiole"	Pontederiaceae
43	"Land plants, rarely growing in marshy situations and then with features not as above"	44
44	"Tufted plants, stems commonly annual, or if prostrate, scrambling or twining, then either leafless or leaves sessile; rhizomatous or with a bulbous or cormous rootstock; inflorescence a raceme or panicle, not subtended by spathe-like bracts"	"Asparagales-Liliales complex"
44	"Prostrate, scrambling, much-branched plant with perennial, succulent stems; leaves ovate with sheathing petioles; rooting readily from nodes; inflorescence of 1-few flowers subtended by a single or pair of spathe-like bracts"	Commelinaceae
45	"Flower lacking labellum; stamens 3 or 6, not assoicated with the style"	46
45	"Flower usually with distinct labellum; stamens 1, united with style or style held between anther locules"	50
46	"Aquatic plants with leaf-blades ovate, floating on water surface; flowers emergent or floating, showy, whitish with red-purple blotch at base; submerged cleistogamous flowers also produced"	Hydrocharitaceae
46	"Terrestrial plants, or if semi-aquatic, then leaf blades more or less linear and emergent from water"	47
47	"Stamens 3"	Iridaceae
47	"Stamens 6"	48
48	"Leafless herbs without chlorophyll (i.e. with no green parts), growing and flowering within leaf-litter layer of wet, shaded forests"	"Thismiaceae {Thismia}"
48	"Mostly leafy herbs, always with chlorophyll (i.e. some parts green), growing and flowering above ground level"	49
49	"Flowers zygomorphic, perianth tubular, externally tomentose; inflorescence a one-sided raceme"	"Haemodoraceae {Anigozanthos}"
49	"Flowers actinomorphic, or if zygomorphic then features not as above"	"Asparagales-Liliales complex"
50	"Labellum derived from modified perianth segment; stamen and style united, with stamen distal to style"	Orchidaceae
50	"Labellum derived from staminodes; style held between anther locules, the style extending beyond the anther"	"Zingiberaceae {Hedychium}"