| 1 | Fruiting bracteoles obdeltoid, connate to above middle; leaves entire |
| 1' | Fruiting bracteoles deltoid, triangular or orbicular, almost free or free to middle; leaves usually toothed or lobed |
| 2 | Shrubs, woody subshrubs or perennial herbs |
| 2' | Herbaceous annuals |
| 3 | Flowers in small axillary clusters; never forming leafless inflorescences; bracteoles indurating or becoming red and fleshy in fruit; stems procumbent or ascending |
| 3' | Flowers in axillary and/or terminal clusters, forming leafless inflorescences; bracteoles somewhat acrescent in fruit, but not fleshy; stems prostrate or erect |
| 4 | Bracteoles not tuberculate, broadly ovate or semi-orbicular, entire or toothed |
| 4' | Bracteoles of spicate pistillate flowers with well developed tubercles, deltoid or rhombic, unequally toothed or lobed |
| 5 | Leaves densely grey-mealy or lepidote |
| 5' | Leaves green or thinly mealy |
| 6 | Fruiting bracteoles widest at middle, not becoming hard in fruit |
| 6' | Fruiting bracteoles mostly widest below middle, lower half becoming hard in fruit |
| 7 | Flowers in terminal, usually leafless, often long panicles; leaves triangular-rhombic to triangular-hastate with shortly cuneate basis |
| 7' | Flowers in axillary clusters; leaves ovate-rhombic to rhombic-triangular with broadly cuneate basis |
| 8 | Leaves entire, not hastate, sometimes lower leaves oblong-hastate |
| 8' | Leaves (even the upper) usually broadly rhombic- or triangular-hastate |
| 9 | Bracteoles triangular, connate to about ¼, (1.5-)2.5-7.0(-10.0) mm long |
| 9' | Bracteoles orbicular or broadly rhombic, connate to middle, (1.5-)2.0-3.5(-5.0) mm long |
