| 1 | STAMENS & STYLE | Shorter than or equalling the petals. | 7 |
| | Stamens shorter than petals but style | krystofii |
| | exceeding. Looks like large flowered crocata | |
| | Longer than the petals. | 2 |
| 2 | INFLORESCENCE | Compound. | 4 |
| | Simple. | 3 |
| 3 | INFLORESCENCE | Polystichous. Densely 7-12 flowered | V. poenulata |
| | Distichous | 3A |
| 3A | INFLORESCENCE | Wide (4 - 7 cm), swordshaped, many flowered | 3F |
| | . | |
| | Thin (to 1 cm) almost roundish, few flowered. | 3B |
| | Flower yellow, sometimes also reddish. | |
| | Narrow, to 2cm wide, 7cm long, petals | rayonesensis |
| | without appendage | |
| | Narrow,(2 - 4cm) lance-like 10 - 24 cm long, | 3C |
| | petals yellow to yellowish green with | |
| | appendage | |
| 3B | LEAF | Spreading to all sides | schiedeana |
| | long filiform towards the tip. | |
| | Strongly bent to one side, awllike | glabrior |
| | "towards the tip; almost succulent" | |
| 3C | LEAF BLADE | Grey green | 3D |
| | Grey | 3E |
| 3D | INFLORESCENCE | erect, spike 3cm wide, floral bracts purple | V. triangularis |
| | pendulous, spikes to 2cm wide | incurva |
| | Floral bracts red 25 - 35 mm long | |
| 3E | FLORAL BRACTS | pink 4.5 cm long, spikes to 4cm wide | patula |
| | grey green, to 3.5cm long, | yaconorensis |
| | spikes to 3cm wide | |
| 3F | INFLORESCENCE | to 17cm long, floral bracts mainly yellow but | lampropoda |
| | red at base, even. Leaves narrow triangular, | |
| | with caudate tips, petals yellow | |
| | to 12 cm long, floral bracts red, nerved. | nervata |
| | Leaves narrow triangular without caudate | |
| | tips, petals cream | |
| 4 | FLOWER SPIKE | Arranged digitally | 4D |
| | Arranged thickly on the main axis, short | 5 |
| | swordlike, almost roundish, bracts close | |
| | together | |
| | Arranged laxly, bipinnate | 4A |
| | Arranged laxly, bipinnate,petals yellow, | V. lubbersii |
| | leaves grey-green | |
| 4A | PETALS | cream without appendage, leaves grey | 4B |
| | yellow without appendage, leaves appearing | kretzii |
| | bright green | |
| | yellow with appendage, leaves grey green | 4C |
| 4B | LEAF | With coarse grey scales, 15-20 cm long. | pringlei |
| | Plant freely offsetting | |
| | With minute pale appressed scales, to | utriculata |
| | 100cm long. Plant rarely offsetting. | |
| 4C | SPIKES | with flowers more than distichous, plant a | V corcovadensis |
| | bulbose rosette | |
| | with flowers distichous, plant a funnel-form | V lubbersii |
| | rosette | |
| 4D | PETALS | with appendage | V lubbersii |
| | without appendage | lampropoda var. major |
| 5 | INFLORESCENCE | Erect. | 5A |
| | Hanging, side-spikes at right angles, petals | alfredo-lauii |
| | pale yellowish-green | |
| | Hanging, side-spikes almost parallel, petals | incurva |
| | yellow-green with appendage | |
| 5A | INFLORESCENCE | Thick, cone shaped, green with yellow petals | aui |
| | Not cone shaped. | 5B |
| 5B | FLORAL BRACT | Densely grey scaled. scape to 55 cm long | roseoscapa |
| | spikes almost erect Flower pale yellow green. | |
| | Densely brown scaled, scape to 18 cm long | mixtecorum |
| | spikes at 45 to 70 degrees | |
| | Not scaled or if any, at tip. | 6 |
| 6 | PRIMARY BRACT | 30 - 35 cm long. Petal yellow green | carlos hankii |
| | Up to 12 cm long. | 6A |
| 6A | FLORAL BRACT | Wholly yellow green.Leaf sheath pale lilac | kalmbacheri |
| | Green with top portion red. | schusteri |
| | Leaf sheath dark brown. | |
| 7 (1) | INFLORESCENCE | Compound. | 29 |
| | Simple or reduced to one flower. | 8 |
| 8 | INFLORESCENCE | More than one flowered. | 16 |
| | One flowered. | 9 |
| 9 | PLANT | Like club moss. Flower sessile, yellow | minutiflora |
| | Not like club moss. | 10 |
| 10 | PLANT | Long, filiform, hanging similar to beard moss | usneoides |
| | Growing otherwise. | 11 |
| 11 | LEAF | Arranged distichously. | 13 |
| | Spiralling. | 12 |
| 12 | LEAF | To 2 cm long. Scape short or missing | rectangula |
| | Inflorescence mostly 1 flower, yellowish | |
| | to brownish | |
| | 4 - 15 cm long. | 12A |
| 12A | PLANT | Short stemmed. | 12B |
| | Stemless. Inflorescence 1 flowered. Flower | urea |
| | golden yellow. Leaf 5 - 15 cm long. | |
| 12B | BRACT | 2 many nerved scape bracts. Floral | funebris |
| | bracts smooth. Inflorescence mainly | |
| | 1 - 2 flowered. Flower dirty brownish yellow. | |
| | 1 Floral bract, 7 -10 nerved. 1 flowered. | erecta |
| 13 | LEAF | Thin, awllike. | 13A |
| | Thick, bent into crescent shape. | 14 |
| 13A | LEAF | Cross section round, leaf tip flat spatulate. | mollis |
| | Flower dirty brownish yellow. | |
| | Flowers brown-reddish, plant creeping | mollis var reptans |
| | Cross section round, leaf tip pungent, floral | castellanii |
| | bracts glabrous, nerved, petals yellowish | |
| | Cross section NOT round, edges bent to form | 13B |
| | a groove, leaf tips long filiform. | |
| | Flower yellow to brownish yellow | |
| 13B | FLORAL BRACT | Almost round. Sepals stocky with strongly | capillaris |
| | developed nerves. Petals lancelike. | |
| | Broad triangular. Sepals slender with | virescens |
| | weakly developed nerves. Petals tongueshaped | |
| 14 | LEAF BLADE | In cross section drawn together. | gilliesii |
| | In cross section round. | 15 |
| 15 | SEPALS | Equally long, almost free. | myosura |
| | Joined high at the back. | retorta |
| 16 (8) | FLOWER | Arranged distichously on rhachis. | 19 |
| | Arranged spirally. | 17 |
| 17 | FLORAL BRACT | Greenish yellow. | 18 |
| | Pink. Flower pale yellow, scented. | jucunda |
| 18 | FLOWER | Strong yellow, scentless. | ixioides |
| | Dirty yellowish brown, scented. | humilis |
| 19 | PLANT | Like club moss, petals pale yellow, leaves to | tricholepis |
| | 15mm long | |
| | Like club moss, petals yellow to brown, | copynii |
| | leaves to 30mm long | |
| | Not like club moss. | 20 |
| 20 | LEAF | Distichous. | 25 |
| | Spirally arranged. | 21 |
| 21 | PLANT | Stemless. | 21A |
| | Short stem. | 22 |
| 21A | LEAF BLADE | Very thin, setaceous 1-2mm wide | dexteri |
| | Flowers cream. | |
| | Not setaceous. | 21B |
| 21B | LEAF BLADE | Long - to 60 cms. Petals cream to dirty yellow | cornuta |
| | during day having opened as white during | |
| | previous night -Luther | |
| | Short 25cm or less | 21C |
| 21C | PETAL | Yellow. Leaf blade 15mm wide, | urea |
| | dense grey scaled | |
| | Yellow-brown, 4 mm wide | aurea v. minor |
| | Yellow/orange. Leaf blade 3 - 5mm wide, | crispa |
| | wavy edges, darkgreen to dark reddish brown. | |
| | orange with wavy edges, leaf blade 8-10mm | ericii |
| | wide, straight edges, grey | |
| 22 | LEAF | 26 cm long, 3 - 4 mm wide contrasting with | V. plurifolia |
| | almost black sheath | |
| | 10 - 18 cm long. | 23 |
| | To 5 cm long. | 24 |
| 23 | FLOWER | Laxly arranged on rhachis. | humilis |
| | Densely imbricate on rhachis, to4.5cm long, | porongoensis |
| | petals yellowish brown | |
| | Densely imbricate on rhachis, to 10cm long. | lotteae |
| | petals yellow | |
| | large, petals 7-9 cm long, with edges serrated | xiphioides v lutea |
| | and strongly wavy | |
| 24 | LEAF | The small rosette almost erect,straight. | loliacea |
| | Inflorescence 4 - 16 flowered | |
| | Flower yellowish green. | |
| | The small rosette widened, stiff,bent | funebris |
| | Inflorescence 1 - 2 flowered. | |
| | Flower dirty yellow-brown. | |
| 25 (20) | LEAF BLADE | In cross section drawn together on the side. | gilliesii |
| | In cross section round to triangular | 26 |
| 26 | LEAF | With large spreading scales. | crocata |
| | Flower large, golden yellow, strong scent | |
| | Dense silvery tomentose, petals yellowish | irta |
| | forming a tube | |
| | With appressed scales. | 27 |
| 27 | FLOWER | Greenish yellow to brownish yellow. | 27A |
| | Leaf thIn, round, awllike straight. | |
| | Pale yellow. Leaf bent. | 28 |
| 27A | INFLORESCENCE | 2-3 flowered, petals brownish yellow | cotagaitensis |
| | sometimes 2 flowered | 27B |
| 27B | FLORAL BRACT - | Almost round. Sepals stocky, | capillaris |
| | strongly nerved. Petals lancelike | |
| | Broad triangular. Sepals slender, | virescens |
| | weakly nerved. Petals tongue shaped | |
| 28 | SEPALS | Equally long, almost free. | myosura |
| | connate high at the back. | retorta |
| | 10mm long, lepidote, floral bract 14 mm long | mandonii |
| 29 (7) | PLANT | With stem or short stem. | 30 |
| | Stemless. | 31 |
| 30 | SEPALS | symmetric, flowers distichous | streptocarpa aureiflora |
| | symmetric, flowers polystichous. | humilis |
| | asymmetric, flowering to 12 cm high, spikes | R miniata |
| | less than 1cm long, petals yellow | |
| | asymmetric, flowering to 100-130 cm, spikes | R gentryana |
| | 1.5 - 2.5 cm long. Inflor tripinnate | |
| | asymmetric, flowering 120-150cm tall, stem | R terrestris |
| | 20-50 cm long, spikes 10-17 cm long, inflor | |
| | tripinnate, flowers secund | |
| | asymmetric, flowering to 2.66 m, spikes | R strobeliorum |
| | 2-3 cm long, inflor tripinnate, petals pale | |
| | yellow | |
| 31 | FLOWER | With asymmetrical sepals. | 37 |
| | (In Racinaea and flowers generally small ) | |
| | With symmetrical sepals. | 32 |
| 32 | PLANT | Bulblike at base. Leaf thin, grasslike. | disticha |
| | Inflorescence mostly erect. | |
| | Flower yellow. Petal thin. | |
| | Not bulblike at base. | 33 |
| 33 | FLORAL BRACT | Red | 34 |
| | Straw coloured, prominantly nerved, flowers | asplundii |
| | lax, spreading. Inflo compound. Branches to | |
| | 13 cm long | |
| | colour unknown, leaves ligulate with | carrierei |
| | purple spots beneath, scape decurved, | |
| | inflorescence compound, dense to 20cm long | |
| | Other Colours | 36 |
| 34 | RHACHIS | clearly visible, inflorescence tripinnate | delicatula |
| | clearly visible, inflo bipinnate, cylindric, to | azuayensis |
| | 10x2.5cm, petals with appendage | |
| | not clearly visible | 35 |
| 35 | SPIKE | 2.5cm wide, primary bracts exceeding the | buseri |
| | spike, inflorescence 30cm long, | |
| | 2 cm wide. The bottom primary | alfredo-lauii |
| | bract as long as the spike. | |
| | 1.4 cm wide. Primary bract | rauschii |
| | always shorter than the spike. | |
| 36 | LEAF | Tongue like, greenish often purple or red | venusta |
| | spotted. Petals cream to dirty yellow during | |
| | day having opened as white during previous | |
| | night - Luther | |
| | narrow triangular, grey | 36A |
| 36A | FLOWER | Laxly arranged on the rhachis. Flower bract | humilis |
| | green. Flower yellow with brown blotches or | |
| | pale yellow, scented with wide petal blade. | |
| | Densely arranged on rhachis. Floral bract | barthlottii |
| | green or orange. Flower cream, very small. | |
| 37 (31) | FLOWER | Secund | 42 |
| | Not secund | 38 |
| 38 | FLOWER | Laxly arranged on rhachis. | 40 |
| | subdense, plant forming a large ellipsoid | R grantii |
| | pseudobulb, inflor with ferrugineous | |
| | indument | |
| | Densely arranged. | 39 |
| 39 | INFLORESCENCE | with brown stellate scales | R. gilmartiniae |
| | with cinereous indument, spikes with | R pattersoniae |
| | ferruginous indument, tripinnate, petals | |
| | cream | |
| | without brown stellate scales | 39A |
| 39A | FLORAL BRACT | As long as the sepals or a bit longer, inflo | R spiculosa |
| | lax, bipinnate to tripinnate, branches | |
| | pointing in all directions | |
| | spiculosa with most branches turned to one | var stenoglossa |
| | side (secund) | |
| | spiculosa but floral bracts 4-5 mm not 6-9 mm | var micrantha |
| | long, spikes laxly flowered | |
| | spiculosa but leaf blades irregularly cross- | var ustulata |
| | banded with dark purple, inflor bipinnate | |
| | a bit longer than the sepals, inflo dense | R rothschuhiana |
| | bipinnate | |
| | a bit longer than the sepals, inflor laxly | R zingleri |
| | branched, bipinnate, spikes up to 1.3 cm long | |
| | dense flowered | |
| | longer than sepals by 4 mm, inflor dense | R goudae |
| | bipinnate, flowering 30-50 cm high, floral | |
| | bracts carinate | |
| | longer than the sepals by 7 mm, inflor dense | R wuelfinghoffii |
| | trippinate at base then bipinnate, flowering | |
| | 70-100 cm high, floral bracts not keeled | |
| | petals up to 1 cm long, yellow | |
| | much longer than sepals | R adscendens |
| | Shorter than sepals. | 39B |
| 39B | INFLORESCENCE | bipinnate, Nicaragua to Panama | R contorta |
| | quadripinnate, Colombia, Ecuador. | R penlandii |
| | penlandii with a much reduced primary bract | var. pedunculata |
| 40 | FLORAL BRACTS | glabrous to pale scales | 40A |
| | with dense scales | 40B |
| 40A | FLORAL BRACTS | glabrous, sepals lepidote, inflo bipinnate | R homostachya |
| | with ca 10 spikes | |
| | glabrous, to 13 mm long, sepals sparsely | R elegans |
| | lepidote, inflor tripinnate, spikes to 10cm long | |
| | petals yellow | |
| | Others | 40C |
| 40B | FLORAL BRACTS | with coarse brown stellate scales same as | R. kessleri |
| | sepals, rhachis geniculate | |
| | with dense scales | 40J |
| 40C | INFLORESCENCE | quadripinnate, leaves rosulate 40cm long | R quadripinnata |
| | sepala obovate, broadly rounded, 5mm long, | |
| | glabrous, floral bracts nerved | |
| | tripinnate or bipinnate | 40D |
| 40D | INFLORESCENCE | tripinnate | 40E |
| | bipinnate | 40G |
| 40E | PLANT | rosulate, leaves narrow triangular, densely | R sinuosa |
| | lepidote 30x2cm, sepals 4-5mm long, lepidote | |
| | pseudo-bulbose | 40F |
| 40F | FLORAL BRACTS | sulcate, with strong midnerve | R subalata |
| | even | R monticola |
| 40G | PLANT | rosulate, branches 2cm long, sepals slightly | R pseudotetrantha |
| | asymmetric1cm long, petals orange | |
| | pseudobulb to tubular | 40H |
| 40H | PLANT | tubular, leaves 40cm long, branches 4cm | R cuspidata |
| | long, sepals cuspidate with dense scales | |
| | pseudobulb | 40I |
| 40I | BRANCHES | 2cm long, spreading to 45 degrees, sepals | R schumanniana |
| | broad elliptic | |
| | 5cm long, erect, sepals apiculate,shorter | R adpressa |
| | to equalling floraL bracts | |
| | adpressa with sepals exceeding floral bracts | adpressa ssp orthiantha |
| 40J | LEAF SHEATH | With large spots. | 40K |
| | Not spotted, or very slightly spotted | 41 |
| 40K | LEAF SHEATH | With large purple spots. | R aeris-incola |
| | Petals pale yellow. | |
| | With dark wine-red spots. | R crispa |
| | Petals yellow/orange. | was crispa v. tustii |
| 41 | LEAF BLADES | edges not waved, spotted | 41B |
| | edges not waved, not spotted | 41A |
| | edges strongly waved | R. hauggii |
| 41A | FLOWER | Spreading from rhachis. Spikes long stipitate | R ropalocarpa |
| | leaf sheaths not spotted, petals very | |
| | small, yellow | |
| | spreading from axis, inflo tripinnate, almost | R tripinnata |
| | throughout, spikes short stipitate, leaves | |
| | subligulate | |
| | Adjacent to rhachis. Leaf sheaths slightly | R pugiformis |
| | spotted. Leaves narrow triangular Petals | |
| | cream | |
| 41B | INFLORESCENCE | tripinnate, leaf blades 3-6mm wide, Colombia | R. dielsii |
| | & Ecuador | |
| | tripinnate, leaf blades 6cm wide with fine red | R marioportillae |
| | spots, plant to 35 cm high, petals yellow | |
| | bipinnate, leaf blades 8-12mm wide, Peru | pendulispica |
| | & Bolivia | |
| 42 (37) | FLOWER | Upward pointing. | R tetrantha |
| | Downward pointing. Inflor tripinnate | R pectinata |
| | petals yellow | |
| | downward pointing, inflor tripinnate, | R guacamayosensis |
| | petals cream, inflor with ferrugineous scales | |
| | downward poniting but floral bracts remain | R hasei |
| | distichous, petals creamy yellow | |
| | downwrd pointing, inflor probably bipinnate | R macrantha |
| | flowers large, greenish cream, 16-19mm long | |
| | downward pointing, inflor tripinnate, arching | R penduliflora |
| | to one side, sepals abaxially densely covered | |
| | with ferrugineous trichomes, petals yellow | |
| | downward pointing, inflor tripinnate, spikes | R tillii |
| | 3-6 cm long, flowers lax, pedicels 2mm long | |
| | petals cream | |
(E) PETAL - YELLOW/YELLOW-BROWN/ ORANGE / CREAM