1	"Leaflets with a distinct broad silver stripe down the middle"	2
1	"Leaflets uniformly green"	3
2	"Vigorous trailing climber with stems up to 2 m long; stipules not joined at base; pods slightly indented along the upper margin"	"Desmodium uncinatum"
2	"Spreading or erect semi-stoloniferous herb; stipules joined at the base; pods straight along the upper margin"	"Desmodium incanum"
3	"Stipules auriculate, asymmetric at base on the side further away from the petiole"	4
3	"Stipules more or less symmetrical at base, or falling early"	7
4	"Erect herb; young pods twisted, the articles with margins alternately involute and revolute"	5
4	"Sprawling or prostrate perennial herb; young pods not twisted, margins of articles in one plane"	6
5	"Articles 4–5 x 3–4 mm, fruiting pedicels more than 10 mm long"	"Desmodium tortuosum"
5	"Articles c. 3 x 2 mm, fruiting pedicels 5–6 mm long"	"Desmodium distortum"
6	"Leaves drying blue-black; articles of pod semicircular, 2–3 mm wide"	"Desmodium brachypodum"
6	"Leaves not drying blue-black; articles of pod narrowly oblong to cylindrical, 1–2 mm wide"	"Desmodium scorpiurus"
7	"Pods inflated, whitish or cream; leaflets narrow lanceolate, to 11 cm long"	"Desmodium campylocaulon"
7	"Pods not inflated, usually brown; leaflets usually smaller or wider"	8
8	"Flowers large: calyx at least 6 mm long; standard c. 10 mm long; pods shortly stipitate"	"Desmodium intortum"
8	"Flowers smaller: calyx less than 6 mm long; standard to 8 mm long; pods sessile"	9
9	"Calyx sub-equally 5-lobed, the upper lobes connate at base only; inflorescences open, with pedicels usually more than 5 mm long; secondary bracts absent; plants herbaceous"	10
9	"Calyx appearing 4-lobed, the upper lobes united to apex or notched/bifid only at the apex; inflorescences often dense, with pedicels usually less than 5 mm long; secondary bracts present or not; plants herbaceous or woody"	19
10	"Flowers in few-flowered axillary or leaf-opposed fascicles or in short 3–10 flowered terminal inflorescences, these obscured by foliage"	11
10	"Flowers in open terminal inflorescences clearly projecting from the foliage; usually arranged singly on rachis"	13
11	"Inflorescence terminal; lateral leaflets 1.2-2 mm wide; upper and lower margins of pod incised, the seed with a well-developed aril"	"Desmodium microphyllum"
11	"Flowers in axillar or leaf -opposed fascicles; lateral leaflets usually more than 3 mm wide; upper margin of pod straight; seed with rim aril only"	12
12	"Terminal leaflets obcordate, broadly obovate or nearly cuneiform; 4–7.5 mm long; pedicels 5–8 mm long"	"Desmodium triflorum"
12	"Terminal leaflets elliptic or obovate, 10–27 mm long; pedicels 10–20 mm long"	"Desmodium heterophyllum"
13	"Upper margin of pod distinctly notched between articles; nerves of articles anastomosing, radiating from raised central area where anastomoses are small and equilateral"	14
13	"Upper margin of pod continuous, not notched between articles; nerves of articles transverse, anastomoses elongate, not radiating from central raised area"	17
14	"Leaflets cuneiform, depressed-ovate or orbicular; leaves with 1 or 3 leaflets"	15
14	"Leaflets obovate, oblong or linear; leaves nearly always with 3 leaflets"	16
15	"Leaflets usually 3; stems with dense yellowish spreading hairs to 1.2 mm long; ovary and articles with clavate trichomes when young;"	"Desmodium pycnotrichum"
15	"Leaflets often only 1 per leaf; stems usually with appressed or spreading white hairs to 0.6 mm long; ovary and pod glabrous or with sparse uncinate hairs"	"Desmodium trichostachyum"
16	"Terminal leaflet oblong, 10–35(–45) mm long, usually more than 3.5 mm wide, and 1–5(–7) times as long as wide; rachis of inflorescence usually with spreading hairs"	"Desmodium filiforme"
16	"Terminal leaflet linear, narrow lanceolate or narrowly oblong, 10–50 (–65) mm long, usually less than 4 mm wide, 3–13 times longer than wide; rachis (at least upper part) without long spreading hairs"	"Desmodium brownii"
17	"Pod distinctly curved; leaflets orbicular when only 1 leaflet, or terminal leaflet obovate to nearly cuneiform when 3 leaflets, usually less than 1.5 times longer than wide"	"Desmodium hannii"
17	"Pods straight; terminal (or single) leaflet oblong, obovate-oblong, usually 1.5–4.5 or more times longer than wide"	18
18	"Stem hairs appressed; articles (3.5–)4–5 x 3–4 mm; terminal leaflet usually widest below middle, glabrous or almost so on upper surface; pods with 4–6 articles each 4–5 mm long"	"Desmodium muelleri"
18	"Stem hairs spreading; articles 2.5–3.5 x 2.2–3.3 mm; terminal leaflet oblong or obovate, widest at or above the middle, usually pubescent on upper surface; pods with 4–5 articles each 2.7–3.5 mm long"	"Desmodium pullenii"
19	"Leaves predominately with only 1 leaflet, occasionally with 3 leaflets"	20
19	"Leaves predominately with 3 leaflets; or sometimes with a mix of leaves with 1 or 3 leaflets"	22
20	"Leaflets with moderately dense short stiff hairs on upper surface; pods with articles 5–6 mm wide"	"Desmodium macrocarpum"
20	"Leaflets glabrous or nearly so on upper surface; pods with articles 3–4 mm wide"	21
21	"Leaflet elliptic or ovate, apex acute; secondary bracts present; pods with symmetrical articles 2.5–3 mm long"	"Desmodium gangeticum"
21	"Leaflets oblong, elliptic, apex obtuse; secondary bracts absent; pods with asymmetrical articles at least 5 mm long"	"Desmodium nemorosum"
22	"Primary bracts dense, covering flower buds; isthmus between articles more than half the width of the pod"	23
22	"Primary bracts usually triangular, not covering flower buds; isthmus between articles less than half width of pod"	26
23	"Inflorescences open when mature, the rachis visible; pod articles c. 5 x 3.5 mm"	"Desmodium nemorosum"
23	"Inflorescences dense, the rachis often obscured; pod articles 2.5–3 x 1.8–3 mm"	24
24	"Pods deflexed; terminal leaflet lanceolate to oblong; inflorescence rachis with appressed hairs"	"Desmodium strigillosum"
24	"Pods erect or ascending; terminal leaflet obovate, sometimes narrow; inflorescence with spreading hairs"	25
25	"Inflorescence rachis with sparse short uncinate hairs"	"Desmodium heterocarpon var. heterocarpon"
25	"Inflorescence rachis with dense straight white or yellowish hairs"	"Desmodium heterocarpon var. strigosum"
26	"Plants densely pubescent; branchlets and underside of leaflets with velvety or spreading hairs"	27
26	"Plants not densely pubescent; branchlets and underside of leaflets glabrous or with sparse appressed hairs"	30
27	"Leaflets very densely velvety pubescent"	"Desmodium cinereum"
27	"Leaflets pubescent but not velvety"	28
28	"Terminal leaflet to 6 cm long; articles of pod 3.5–4 x 2.5–3 mm; trailing or sprawling plant"	"Desmodium rhytidophyllum"
28	"Terminal leaflet more than 6 cm long; articles of fruit more than 5 mm long"	29
29	"Leaflets ovate, acute; upper surface with sparse appressed hairs; articles 5.5–8 mm long"	"Desmodium tenax"
29	"Leaflets ovate or rhombic, obtuse, mucronulate; both surfaces with dense stiff hairs; articles 9–10 mm long"	"Desmodium macrocarpum"
30	"Leaves subdigitate; leaflets nearly cuneiform and truncate at apex; pod articles 4–5 x 2–2.5 mm long"	"Desmodium gunnii"
30	"Leaves distinctly pinnate; leaflets lanceolate, oblong or oblanceolate; pod articles 3.5–4.2 x 2.7–3.8 mm"	"Desmodium varians"