1	"Scape more than 7 times as long as spike; flowering spike broad and brush-like from the very long erect filaments; stomates in linear, subsurface, hair-lined chambers."	"Xanthorrhoea macronema"
1	"Scape less than 6 times as long as spike; flowering spike more or less cylindrical, the filaments short and erect or, if longer, recurved; stomates at leaf surface or if sunken, then in pits."	2
2	"Spike longer than scape."	3
2	"Spike shorter than or as long scape."	8
3	"Packing bracts subulate, glabrous."	"Xanthorrhoea australis"
3	"Packing bracts shortly acute to triangular, glabrous to hirsute or fringed with hairs."	4
4	"Cluster bracts obscure or almost so."	"Xanthorrhoea media"
4	"Cluster bracts prominent for at least part of spike."	5
5	"Leaves blue-green or greyish, glaucous."	"Xanthorrhoea glauca"
5	"Leaves green, not glaucous."	6
6	"Scape usually 20–30 mm diam.; leaves soft and spongy to the touch."	"Xanthorrhoea malacophylla"
6	"Scape usually less than 20 mm diam.; leaves tough, hard to the touch."	7
7	"Trunk usually absent, sometimes to 30 cm long; crown more or less hemispherical; Hunter R. to Sydney region."	"Xanthorrhoea media"
7	"Trunk usually more than 30 cm long; crown with young leaves in spreading upright tuft and old leaves usually strongly reflexed over trunk; north of Hunter R."	"Xanthorrhoea johnsonii"
8	"Packing bracts densely hirsute on outer surface, appearing velvety."	9
8	"Packing bracts glabrous to hirsute or fringed with hairs but not velvety."	11
9	"Leaves transverse-rhombic in T.S.; spike dark brown velvety at flowering."	"Xanthorrhoea resinosa"
9	"Leaves depressed-obtrullate to concave in T.S.; spike cream to more or less light brown velvety at flowering."	10
10	"Leaves very depressed-cuneate to concave in T.S., 3–6 mm wide, 1.5–2 mm thick; south from Sydney district."	"Xanthorrhoea concava"
10	"Leaves depressed-obtrullate to depressed-cuneate in T.S., 1.9–3.5 mm wide, 1–1.5 mm thick; north of Wyong."	"Xanthorrhoea fulva"
11	"Scape and spike together usually less than 90 cm long."	12
11	"Scape and spike together usually 90 cm or more long."	14
12	"Cluster bracts obscure or restricted to junction of scape and spike."	"Xanthorrhoea minor"
12	"Cluster bracts prominent on spike."	13
13	"Leaves depressed-cuneate in T.S., often concave, green, not glaucous; cluster bracts shortly acute to triangular."	"Xanthorrhoea minor"
13	"Leaves transverse-rhombic or depressed-obtrullate in T.S., rarely depressed-cuneate, greyish, glaucous; cluster bracts narrow-triangular to subulate."	"Xanthorrhoea acaulis"
14	"Cluster bracts usually prominent at least in some part of spike."	15
14	"Cluster bracts obscure or restricted to junction of scape and spike."	16
15	"Leaves usually more than 2.5 mm wide, soft and spongy; grows in moist habitats."	"Xanthorrhoea malacophylla"
15	"Leaves usually 2.5 mm wide or less, tough and hard; grows in dry sclerophyll forest and heath."	"Xanthorrhoea johnsonii"
16	"Leaves usually more or less quadrate-rhombic to transverse-rhombic in T.S., less than 3 mm wide."	17
16	"Leaves narrowly transverse-rhombic, depressed obtrullate, depressed-cuneate to transverse-linear or concave in T.S."	18
17	"Trunk absent or to 30 cm long; crown more or less hemispherical; south of the Hunter R."	"Xanthorrhoea media"
17	"Trunk 10 cm to 5 m long; crown with young leaves in spreading upright tuft, old leaves usually strongly reflexed over trunk; north of the Hunter R."	"Xanthorrhoea johnsonii"
18	"Spike usually more than half or as long as scape."	"Xanthorrhoea arborea"
18	"Spike usually less than half as long as scape"	"Xanthorrhoea latifolia"