1	"Perennial herb (occasionally flowering first year)"	2
1	Annual	7
2	"Cauline leaves +- fleshy; ligules +- yellow; fruit smooth, outer pappus 0; dunes"	"Malacothrix incana"
2	"Cauline leaves generally not fleshy; ligules white; fruit minutely spiny, outer pappus of irregular teeth"	3
3	"Distal leaves generally 1--2-pinnately lobed"	4
3	"Distal leaves generally entire (toothed)"	5
4	"Stem densely leafy; distal leaves (ob)ovate, 2-pinnately divided into linear segments"	"Malacothrix saxatilis var. implicata"
4	"Stem +- sparsely leafy; distal leaves linear to lanceolate, sharply and narrowly lobed"	"Malacothrix saxatilis var. tenuifolia"
5	"Distal leaves generally linear to ovate, tip occasionally obtuse; coastal bluffs"	"Malacothrix saxatilis var. saxatilis"
5	"Distal leaves lance-linear to elliptic, generally acute"	6
6	"Herbage tomentose"	"Malacothrix saxatilis var. arachnoidea"
6	"Herbage glabrous to +- hairy"	"Malacothrix saxatilis var. commutata"
7	"Plant scapose, stem unbranched, generally not visible above ground; heads borne singly on long, +- naked peduncles; outer phyllaries with +- tangled long hairs"	"Malacothrix californica"
7	"Plant with +- leafy stem, or if +- scapose, stem generally evident above ground, branched or not; heads generally borne in clusters; outer phyllaries glabrous, or +- short white-hairy"	8
8	"Cauline leaves generally with ear-like basal lobes; involucre generally spheric; outermost phyllaries widely ovate to round, margin widely scarious"	"Malacothrix coulteri"
8	"Cauline leaves generally without ear-like basal lobes; involucre generally bell-shaped; outermost phyllaries lanceolate to widely ovate"	9
9	"Cauline leaves not or seldom notably reduced distally on stem; ChI"	10
9	"Cauline leaves generally much reduced distally on stem; widespread, generally mainland habitats (<i>Malacothrix clevelandii</i>, <i>Malacothrix similis</i> also ChI)"	16
10	"Fruit with outer pappus"	11
10	"Fruit generally without outer pappus"	12
11	"Distal leaves generally oblanceolate, with few, short lobes; involucre 7--8.5 mm; fruit ribs +- equal, extending to tip; outer pappus of minute teeth and 1--2 bristles; Anacapa Island"	"Malacothrix junakii"
11	"Distal leaves narrowly ovate, with 5--10 narrow, +- sharp teeth or lobes; involucre 9--12 mm; 5 fruit ribs prominent, extending +- beyond tip; outer pappus of minute teeth, bristles 0(1); Anacapa, Santa Cruz islands"	"Malacothrix squalida"
12	"Cauline leaves generally fleshy, margins +- equally lobed, tips obtuse; San Miguel, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa islands"	"Malacothrix indecora"
12	"Cauline leaves generally not fleshy, lobes +- equal, generally sharp; Anacapa, San Clemente, San Nicolas, Santa Barbara islands"	13
13	"Ligules of outermost flowers exserted < 5 mm"	14
13	"Ligules of outermost flowers exserted generally > 5 mm"	15
14	"Stem 1--6, generally branched at base and distally; distal-most leaves distally sharply 4--10-lobed, ultimate margins curled; outer phyllaries +- overlapping; Anacapa Island"	"Malacothrix foliosa subsp. crispifolia"
14	"Stem generally 1, branched above base; distal-most leaves generally 2-lobed at base, ultimate margins generally not curled; outer phyllaries +- 1/2 inner phyllaries; San Nicolas Island"	"Malacothrix foliosa subsp. polycephala"
15	"Stem generally 1, generally erect, branched distally; distal-most leaves generally 2-lobed at base; San Clemente Island"	"Malacothrix foliosa subsp. foliosa"
15	"Stems (1)3--5(10), erect, or decumbent to ascending; distal-most leaves generally pinnately lobed from base to near tip; Santa Barbara Island"	"Malacothrix foliosa subsp. philbrickii"
16	"Ligules of outermost flowers exserted < 5 mm"	17
16	"Ligules of outermost flowers exserted >= 5 mm"	20
17	"Proximal cauline leaves +- fleshy, lobes in 3--8 pairs, short, +- equal, generally toothed; fruit outer pappus a rounded-toothed crown, bristles 0"	"Malacothrix phaeocarpa"
17	"Proximal cauline leaves generally not fleshy, unequally toothed or narrowly lobed; fruit outer pappus of needle-like teeth, bristle generally 1"	18
18	"Basal leaves generally obovate in outline; corolla generally 6--8 mm, white or pale yellow; fruit generally 1.7--2.3 mm, ribs 0 near tip"	"Malacothrix stebbinsii"
18	"Basal leaves generally lance-linear to (ob)lanceolate in outline; corolla 4--9 mm, pale yellow to yellow; fruit 1.2--1.8 mm, ribs extending to tip"	19
19	"Stem generally branched mostly distally; cauline leaves generally toothed; pollen 70--100% 3-pored; common, widespread"	"Malacothrix clevelandii"
19	"Stem generally branched mostly from base; cauline leaves +- entire; pollen 70--100% 4-pored; uncommon, SCo, n ChI"	"Malacothrix similis"
20	"Ligules generally white (+- yellow); fruit 1.2--2 mm; outer pappus 0; not of desert habitats"	"Malacothrix floccifera"
20	"Ligules yellow (white); fruit 1.8--3.3 mm; outer pappus present; often desert-like habitats"	21
21	"Leaf lobes +- equal, generally thread-like"	"Malacothrix glabrata"
21	"Leaf lobes short, +- equal, oblong, or triangular to linear"	22
22	"Distal-most leaves generally widest at base; outer pappus a rounded-toothed crown, bristles 0"	"Malacothrix sonchoides"
22	"Distal-most leaves generally narrowed to strap-like base; outer pappus of irregular teeth, bristles (0)1--6"	"Malacothrix torreyi"