1	"Leaf ligule present and conspicuous (>2 mm long); leaf surface with alternating longitudinal papillate and non-papillate stripes"	2
1	"Leaf ligule very short (<0.1 mm at its midpoint), barely visible; leaf surface smooth, without papillate stripes"	4
2	"Ligule short, about 2–2.5 mm; plants small, 5–15 cm high; shoot mostly supported above ground on stilt-like roots"	"Anarthria polyphylla"
2	"Ligule long, about 5–15 mm; plants large, more than 15 cm; roots underground"	3
3	"Leaf lamina flattened, elliptic in cross-section, with thick rounded edges, in its widest part 1–2 mm wide dorsiventrally (i.e. from the side of sheath opening to opposite side)"	"Anarthria gracilis"
3	"Leaf lamina filiform, circular in cross-section, usually 0.5–0.6 mm wide"	"Anarthria grandiflora"
4	"Above-ground shoot system extensively branched; spikelets terminal on axes of different orders, but some other branches continue vegetative growth"	"Anarthria prolifera"
4	"Leaves and unbranched flowering stems borne directly on underground rhizomes, the vegetative part and inflorescence zone clearly distinct"	5
5	"Leaves 4.5–8(–10) mm wide dorsiventrally; culm and leaf margins coarsely or minutely scabrid"	"Anarthria scabra"
5	"Leaves less than 6 mm wide dorsiventrally, without scabrous margins"	6
6	"Leaf lamina filiform; plant less than 20 cm tall; inflorescence up to 2 cm long"	"Anarthria humilis"
6	"Leaf lamina ensiform; plant 20–80 cm tall; inflorescence 2–10 cm long"	7
7	"Inflorescence axis 0.7–1.2 mm wide; culms with up to 40 flowers; perianth in males 6–8.5 mm long, perianth in females 2–4.5 mm long"	"Anarthria dioica"
7	"Inflorescence axis 3–5 mm wide; culms with up to 200 flowers; perianth in males 3–3.5 mm long, perianth in females 2.2–2.5 mm long"	"Anarthria laevis"