| 1 | PLANT | With compound inflorescence. | humilis |
| | Flower yellow with brown blotches. | |
| | With simple inflorescence. | 2 |
| 2 | LEAF | Arranged spirally. | 4 |
| | changing from spirally to distichous and back | angulosa |
| | petals light brown | |
| | Distichous. | 3 |
| 3 | FLOWER | Brownish black, dull, very small. | caliginosa |
| | Petal blade 2 x 2mm., leaves long flexuous | |
| | dark brown violet, leaves short stiff | tenebra |
| | Brownish yellow. | 3A |
| | Wide & reflexed petal blade | |
| 3A | LEAF BLADE | In cross section round. | mollis |
| | Leaf tip flattened spatulate. | |
| | Flowers brownish red. Plant creeping | mollis var reptans |
| | In cross section round to triangular | 3B |
| 3B | LEAVES | 6-8cm long, more or less erect | kuehhasii |
| | 6-12cm long, more or less spreading | landbeckii |
| | landbeckii with flowers scented and | landbeckii |
| | chasmogamous. Leaves more robust | ssp andina |
| | landbeckii ss andina but with silvery scales | ssp andina |
| | instead of grey | var rigidor |
| | much shorter | 3C |
| 3C | FLORAL BRACT | Almost round. Sepals stocky, | capillaris |
| | strongly nerved. Petals lancelike | |
| | Broad, triangular. Sepals slender | virescens |
| | weakly nerved. Petals tongue shaped. | |
| 4 | LEAF | Over 10 cm long. | humilis |
| | To 5 cm long. | 5 |
| 5 | LEAF | Of the small rosette, almost erect, straight. | spiralipetala |
| | Of small rosette, widening, bent | 6 |
| 6 | LEAF | To 2 cm long.Scape short or missing. | rectangula |
| | Inflorescence mostly 1 flowering. | |
| | Petal brown to yellow. | |
| | To 4 cm long. Scape 4 cm long. | funebris |
| | Inflorescence mostly 1 to 2 flowering | |
| | Petals dirty brownish yellow. | |
| | To 5 cm long. Scape to 10cm long. Few | gilliesii |
| | flowered. Petals dark violet to dark brown | ssp polysticha |
(G) PETAL - BROWN, DARK BROWN TO NEARLY BROWNISH BLACK