1	"Outermost involucral bracts appressed to the inner row, always with a clear white border (0.25–0.5 mm wide; ligules scarcely exceeding the innermost involucral bracts (section Australasica)"	2
1	"Outermost involucral bracts not appressed to the inner row, with at least the upper part spreading, recurved or reflexed, border present or absent; ligules mainly far exceeding the innermost involucral bracts"	3
2	"Cypselas smooth in the lower third (but longitudinal ribs present throughout)"	"Taraxacum aristum"
2	"Cypselas verrucate to the base"	"Taraxacum cygnorum"
3	"Petiole and midribs clearly striate on upper surface  (i.e. with interwoven purple and green strands visible with a ×5 lens); involucral bracts without a callus"	4
3	"Petiole and midribs green or uniformly purple on upper surface, not striate; involucral bracts with or without a callus"	6
4	"Outer involucral bracts glaucous above and dark green below, recurved to reflexed to different degrees in a single capitulum"	"Taraxacum sect. Hamata"
4	"Outer involucral bracts not or very slightly glaucous above, green to light green below, erect to  recurved to same degree in a single capitulum (section Celtica)"	5
5	"Scapes often bracteate, with bracts large and leaf-like; outermost involucral bracts narrow and laciniate, 1–2 mm wide; cypselas at least 3.5 mm long"	"Taraxacum bracteatum"
5	"Scapes usually ebracteate, rarely with one minute linear bract; outermost involucral bracts never both narrow and laciniate, 2–3 mm wide; cypselas less than 3.5 mm long"	"Taraxacum subbracteatum"
6	"Cypselas pale to dark red-brown, salmon or dark brown (section Erythrosperma)"	7
6	"Cypselas grey, straw-coloured, pale brown or olive-brown"	11
7	"Cypselas dark red-brown, up to 0.7 mm wide (including spines), with longest spines c. 0.4 mm long, spreading (± 45°) to recurved"	"Taraxacum gracilens"
7	"Cypselas salmon, red-brown or dark brown, greater than 0.7 mm wide (including spines) with longest spines less than 0.4 mm long, mainly antrorse (at less than 45°)"	8
8	"Cypsela broadly fusiform, with body tapering abruptly into cone"	9
8	"Cypsela narrowly fusiform, with body tapering gradually into cone"	10
9	"Distal margins of at least some of the lateral leaf-lobes with 2–4 falcate lobules, proximal margins always entire; interlobes sparsely denticulate; outermost involucral bracts ovate-lanceolate to lanceolate, narrowly white bordered (c. 0.2 mm wide) with ciliolate margins"	"Taraxacum sarcidanum"
9	"Plants without the above combinations of characters"	"Taraxacum hepaticolor"
10	"Cypselas red-brown, lower two thirds verrucate, rarely smooth; inner involucral bracts rarely callus-tipped; upper lateral leaf-lobes triangular to falcate, acute but never caudate, with distal margins entire to denticulate"	"Taraxacum hepaticolor"
10	"Cypselas salmon to dark red-brown, lower two thirds usually smooth, occasionally verrucate; inner involucral bracts callus-tipped; upper lateral leaf-lobes deltoid to deltoid-caudate, the tails often with expanded tips, with distal margins usually dentate to laciniate"	"Taraxacum multidentatum"
11	"Outer involucral bracts with a white border 0.3–0.5 mm wide, cordate to ovate-lanceolate"	12
11	"Outer involucral bracts unbordered or with a narrow white border up to 0.2 mm wide; linear-lanceolate to ovate"	13
12	"Cypsela length 3–5 mm; outer involucral bracts cordate to ovate-lanceolate, usually with a callus"	"Taraxacum squamulosum"
12	"Cypsela length 2.5–3 mm; outer involucral bracts ovate-lanceolate, usually without a callus"	"Taraxacum retzii"
13	"Outer involucral bracts without a callus; cone conical to subconical"	"Taraxacum sect. Taraxacum"
13	"Outer involucral bracts with a callus; cone cylindrical (group 1 species)"	"Taraxacum sp. group 1"