1	"Scape 8 or more times as long as spike; flowering spike broad and brush-like from the very long erect filaments; stomates in linear, subsurface, hair-lined chambers (Fig. 37S)"	2
1	"Scape 5 or less times as long as spike; flowering spike ±cylindrical, the filaments short and erect or, if longer, recurved; stomates at leaf surface or if sunken, then each in a pit (Fig. 37T)"	3
2	"Packing-bracts glabrous (eastern Australia)"	"Xanthorrhoea macronema"
2	"Packing-bracts hirsute (W.A.)"	"Xanthorrhoea gracilis"
3	"Spike longer than scape"	4
3	"Spike shorter than or equal to scape"	16
4	"Packing-bracts subulate, glabrous"	5
4	"Packing-bracts shortly acute to triangular, glabrous to hirsute or fringed with hairs"	7
5	"Leaves 5–12 mm wide"	"Xanthorrhoea semiplana"
5	"Leaves 1.2–3 mm wide"	6
6	"Spike only slightly longer than scape (W.A.)"	"Xanthorrhoea acanthostachya"
6	"Spike usually much longer than scape (eastern Australia)"	"Xanthorrhoea australis"
7	"Cluster-bracts obscure or almost so"	8
7	"Cluster-bracts prominent for at least part of spike"	12
8	"Leaves 4–8 mm wide"	9
8	"Leaves usually less than 4 mm wide"	10
9	"Trunk to 60 cm long (W.A.)"	"Xanthorrhoea platyphylla"
9	"Trunk usually 2–6 m long (N.S.W.)"	"Xanthorrhoea malacophylla"
10	"Leaves grey-green, glaucous; bracts dark brown, hirsute"	"Xanthorrhoea drummondii"
10	"Leaves green, not glaucous; bracts green or dark brown, glabrous to moderately hirsute"	11
11	"Spike 2 or more times length of scape; bracts green, glabrous to subglabrous (W.A.)"	"Xanthorrhoea preissii"
11	"Spike less than 2 times length of scape; bracts dark brown, glabrous to moderately hirsute (eastern mainland Australia)"	"Xanthorrhoea media"
12	"Leaves blue-green or greyish, glaucous"	13
12	"Leaves green, not glaucous"	14
13	"Cluster-bracts prominent for most or all of mature spike length; packing-bracts dark-brown (eastern Australia)"	"Xanthorrhoea glauca"
13	"Cluster-bracts prominent only at base of mature spike; packing-bracts light-brown (central Australia & inland W.A.)"	"Xanthorrhoea thorntonii"
14	"Scape diam. 20–30 mm; leaves soft and spongy to the touch"	"Xanthorrhoea malacophylla"
14	"Scape diam. 20 mm or less; leaves tough, hard to the touch"	15
15	"Trunk usually none, sometimes to 30 cm long; crown ±hemispherical (N.S.W., Hunter R. to Sydney region)"	"Xanthorrhoea media"
15	"Trunk usually longer than 30 cm; crown with young leaves in spreading upright tuft and old leaves usually strongly reflexed over trunk (Qld, & N.S.W. north of Hunter R.)"	"Xanthorrhoea johnsonii"
16	"Packing-bracts narrowly triangular to subulate"	17
16	"Packing-bracts obtuse to triangular"	19
17	"Packing-bracts fringed with hairs to moderately hirsute"	"Xanthorrhoea caespitosa"
17	"Packing-bracts glabrous or subglabrous"	18
18	"Plants without trunk; leaves depressed-obtrullate to depressed-cuneate in T.S. (Tas.)"	"Xanthorrhoea arenaria"
18	"Plants with trunk; leaves quadrate-rhombic in T.S. (W.A.)"	"Xanthorrhoea acanthostachya"
19	"Packing-bracts densely hirsute on abaxial surface, appearing velvety"	20
19	"Packing-bracts glabrous to hirsute or fringed with hairs but not velvety"	22
20	"Leaves transverse-rhombic in T.S.; spike dark-brown velvety at flowering"	"Xanthorrhoea resinosa"
20	"Leaves depressed-obtrullate to concave in T.S.; spike cream to ±light brown velvety at flowering"	21
21	"Leaves very depressed-cuneate to concave in T.S., 3–6 mm wide, 1.5–2 mm thick (N.S.W., Sydney & southwards)"	"Xanthorrhoea concava"
21	"Leaves depressed-obtrullate to depressed-cuneate in T.S., 1.9–3.5 mm wide, 1–1.5 mm thick (Qld, & N.S.W. north of Wyong)"	"Xanthorrhoea fulva"
22	"Scape and spike together usually less than 90 cm long"	23
22	"Scape and spike together usually 90 cm or more long"	30
23	"Scape and spike distinctly curved; spike often at ±90° to scape (W.A.)"	"Xanthorrhoea nana"
23	"Scape emerging from crown ±vertically; spike and scape ±straight"	24
24	"Leaves quadrate-rhombic in T.S. (S.A.)"	"Xanthorrhoea quadrangulata"
24	"Leaves ranging from transverse-rhombic, depressed-obtrullate to very depressed-cuneate or transverse-linear in T.S."	25
25	"Cluster-bracts prominent on spike"	26
25	"Cluster-bracts obscure or restricted to junction of scape and spike"	28
26	"Packing-bracts triangular to narrowly triangular (Tas.)"	"Xanthorrhoea bracteata"
26	"Packing-bracts shortly acute to acute"	27
27	"Leaves depressed-cuneate in T.S., often concave, green, not glaucous; cluster-bracts shortly acute to triangular (eastern mainland Australia)"	"Xanthorrhoea minor"
27	"Leaves transverse-rhombic or depressed-obtrullate in T.S., rarely depressed-cuneate, greyish, glaucous; cluster-bracts narrowly triangular to subulate"	"Xanthorrhoea acaulis"
28	"Crown-leaves broadly spreading or recurved (Qld)"	"Xanthorrhoea pumilio"
28	"Crown an erect tuft of leaves (W.A. & SE Australia)"	29
29	"Scape and spike together usually more than 80 cm long (W.A.)"	"Xanthorrhoea brunonis"
29	"Scape and spike together usually less than 75 cm long (eastern mainland Australia)"	"Xanthorrhoea minor"
30	"Cluster-bracts usually prominent at least in some part of spike"	31
30	"Cluster-bracts obscure or restricted to junction of scape and spike"	32
31	"Leaves usually more than 2.5 mm wide, soft and spongy; plant of moist habitats"	"Xanthorrhoea malacophylla"
31	"Leaves usually 2.5 mm wide or less, tough and hard; plant of dry sclerophyll forest and heath"	"Xanthorrhoea johnsonii"
32	"Leaves usually ±quadrate-rhombic to transverse-rhombic in T.S., less than 3 mm wide"	33
32	"Leaves narrowly transverse-rhombic, depressed-obtrullate, depressed-cuneate to transverse-linear or concave in T.S., 1.7–10 mm wide"	34
33	"Trunk none or to 30 cm long; crown ±hemispherical (N.S.W., Sydney region and adjacent areas south of the Hunter R.)"	"Xanthorrhoea media"
33	"Trunk 10 cm to 5 m long; crown with young leaves in spreading upright tuft, old leaves usually strongly reflexed over trunk (Qld & N.S.W. north of the Hunter R.)"	"Xanthorrhoea johnsonii"
34	"Leaves blue-green"	"Xanthorrhoea brevistyla"
34	"Leaves green"	35
35	"Spike usually greater than 1/2 or as long as scape in length"	"Xanthorrhoea arborea"
35	"Spike usually less than 1/2 as long as scape"	36
36	"Leaves usually more than 4 mm wide; spike 30–150 cm long"	"Xanthorrhoea latifolia"
36	"Leaves usually less than 4 mm wide; spike usually 5–40 cm long"	37
37	"Spike 20–40 mm diam.; petals without proboscis (W.A.)"	"Xanthorrhoea brunonis"
37	"Spike 14–23 mm diam.; petals with proboscis (Qld)"	"Xanthorrhoea pumilio"