a	Ovary always with an axile placenta Nectary koilomorphic: represented usually by 4 or 5 shell-shaped depressions Fruits with expanding keels, if present, reaching from central axis to tips of valves Fruit rarely a woody nut	Mesembryanthemoideae (002)
	b	Ovary with placenta parietal to basal, very rarely axile ( Caryotophora , Hymenogyne , both with schizocarpic fruit) Nectaries lophomorphic: crest-shaped, either as separate glands or united into a ring, rarely ± absent Fruit with expanding keels never reaching the centre of the fruit Fruit, if not opening when wetted, then rarely opening when drying out, fleshy or breaking up into mericarps	Ruschioideae (014)

Mesembryanthemoideae
	a	Leaves flat
	b	Leaves ± cylindrical

	a	Leaves becoming skeleton-like with lignified veins and margins, persistent and enclosing young buds	Sceletium
	b	Leaves not drying skeleton-like

	a	Leaves stem-clasping, opposite, shape and particularly size of basal and upper leaves markedly different	Synaptophyllum
	b	Leaves not stem-clasping, opposite, occasionally becoming alternate in the inflorescence, or throughout the plant, occasionally appearing petiolate, with no marked difference in size between basal and upper leaves

	a	Leaves with conspicuous bladder cells, leaf margins often undulate	Mesembryanthemum
	b	Leaves with inconspicuous bladder cells, leaf margins flat

	a	Leaves shortly fused at the base, glaucous, covered with a thick wax layer that rubs off easily Green parts of the stem become dry and remain on the slightly woody stem as a thick whitish layer	Prenia
	b	Leaves not fused at the base, shiny green, without visible wax layer Stems green and succulent, 4-angled or cylindrical	Aptenia

	a	Internodes entirely enclosed in embracing leaf tissue
	b	Internodes not entirely enclosed by leaf tissue but often with green, succulent cortex

	a	Leaves alternate, finger-like, up to 100 mm long and up to 20 mm in diameter Plants compact, dwarf	Dactylopsis
	b	Leaves opposite, subterete, basally free, up to 35 mm long and up to 8 mm in diameter Shrublets up to 150 mm high	Aspazoma

	a	Stems constricted at nodes, green, with persistent, succulent primary cortex
	b	Plants with a continuous stem, only the young stages green, primary cortex not persistent

	a	Bladder cells at base and edges of leaves often becoming hair-like, bladder cells on stems densely arranged and firm to the touch, those on the leaves more sparse and soft to the touch	Brownanthus
	b	Bladder cells on leaves and stems similar to ± absent, rarely becoming hair-like

	a	Perennials with creeping annual stems and tuberous rootstock	Caulipsolon
	b	Perennials or annuals with erect to decumbent stems Roots not tuberous	Psilocaulon

	a	Bladder cells scarcely visible Branches and peduncles woody or wiry	Aridaria
	b	Bladder cells usually conspicuous Young branches and peduncles externally herbaceous

	a	Shrublets or subshrubs, often with thickened roots Stems corky or lignified, at least towards the base	Phyllobolus
	b	Annual to perennial fleshy herbs with fibrous roots Stems herbaceous	Mesembryanthemum

Ruschioideae Groups
	a	Leaves with a sticky surface, sand and soil adhering to it	Group A (021)
	b	Leaves with a smooth or papillate surface, often glistening, but not sticky

	a	Plants heterophyllous: different types of leaf pairs present	Group B (022)
	b	Plants homophyllous: all leaves ± similar

	a	Leaves flat, wider than thick, petiolate	Group C (033)
	b	Leaves three-dimensional, triquetrous, trigonous, terete, not wider than thick

	a	Plants creeping, with procumbent stems	Group D (048)
	b	Plants compact, caespitose or shrubby

	a	Plants compact and tufted, all internodes completely concealed by the leaves	Group E (068)
	b	Plants caespitose, shrubby, or if basally compact then with additional long shoots

	a	Plants caespitose, internodes short but visible, procumbent, stems not rooting	Group F (142)
	b	Plants shrubby, long shoots ascending, erect, or climbing, sometimes with a compact centre

	a	Shrubs or shrublets without spines	Group G (164)
	b	Shrubs or shrublets with spines	Group H (218)

Ruschioideae Group A Plants with sticky surfaces
	a	Capsules with covering membranes, locules 8 Epidermis cells of leaves undivided	Arenifera
	b	Capsules without covering membranes or with narrow rims, locules 5 Epidermis cells of leaves divided by secondary walls	Psammophora

Ruschioideae Group B Heterophyllous plants (different types of leaf pairs are present)
	a	Leaf surface with bladder cells
	b	Leaf surface without bladder cells, homocellular

	a	Plants compact, tufted
	b	Plants shrubby

	a	Capsules with parallel expanding keels	Oophytum
	b	Capsules with divergent expanding keels

	a	Plants small, lower than 40 mm	Diplosoma
	b	Plants larger, 40-150 mm high	Monilaria

	a	Old leaf sheaths with sclerotic bases, enclosing the internodes completely	Monilaria
	b	Old leaf sheaths papery or parchment-like, entire

	a	Leaves dentate	Hammeria
	b	Leaves not dentate

	a	More than 2 leaf pairs produced per season	Dicrocaulon
	b	Two leaf pairs produced per season

	a	Flowers basally enclosed by a cup	Dicrocaulon
	b	Flowers exserted above the leaves, without a basal cup

	a	Both leaf pairs connate for more than 50% of their length	Meyerophytum
	b	One leaf pair connate for less than 25% of its length, spreading, the other connate for more than 50% of its length, erect	Mitrophyllum

	a	Capsules 5-locular	Antimima
	b	Capsules multilocular

	a	Plants with long, erect or straggling branches from a compact (tufted) base	Vanzijlia
	b	Plants compact to caespitose	Cheiridopsis subgenus Cheiridopsis

Ruschioideae Group C Plants with ± flat leaves (leaves wider than thick)
	a	Plants perennial
	b	Plants annual

	a	Leaves soft and smooth, surface mesomorphic
	b	Leaves hard, with warts or white dots, or velvety and dust-covered, leaf surface xeromorphic

	a	Fruit woody, finally disintegrating into nutlets	Caryotophora
	b	Fruit a capsule

	a	Capsule xerochastic
	b	Capsule hygrochastic with well-developed expanding keels and sheets

	a	Leaves homocellular, without bladder cells Capsules with separate marginal seed-pockets at half their height	Skiatophytum
	b	Leaves with bladder cells Capsule without pockets	Saphesia

	a	Plants anisophyllous, i.e. the leaves of a pair are unequal in size Capsules multilocular, with firm, undulating covering membranes, with or without reduced valve wings	Glottiphyllum
	b	Plants isophyllous, i.e. the leaves of a pair are equal in size Capsules 5-locular, without covering membranes, but with broad, triangular valve wings	Delosperma

	a	Leaves with fine white, often raised dots, leaf tips tapering	Nananthus
	b	Leaves with warts, particularly along the distal broadened margin, leaf tips broadly rounded

	a	Fruit 5-locular	Titanopsis
	b	Fruit multilocular

	a	Leaves velvety, dust-covered	Deilanthe
	b	Leaves tuberculate or punctate	Aloinopsis

	a	Leaf surface ± smooth
	b	Leaf surface with prominent bladder cells

	a	Leaf margin ciliate Capsules with locules covered by the overarching covering membranes	Carpanthea
	b	Leaf margin with bladder cells, never ciliate Capsules with seed pockets

	a	Leaf epidermis with tanniniferous idioblasts Fruit breaking into mericarps enclosing one seed each	Hymenogyne
	b	Leaf epidermis without tanniniferous idioblasts Fruit opening hygroscopically by expanding keels	Apatesia

	a	Leaves lyrate
	b	Leaves entire

	a	Top of capsule flat Valves with expanding sheets only	Aethephyllum
	b	Top of capsule with ribs Valves with expanding keels merging into expanding sheets	Cleretum

	a	Valve wings broad, rectangular	Cleretum
	b	Valve wings tapering into awns	Dorotheanthus

Ruschioideae Group D Plants with creeping growth form (Plants procumbent, rooting at the nodes, only short branches, usually with tufted leaves, growing erect.) Note: Not included are genera such as Rhinephyllum and Cylindrophyllum which may comprise creeping forms.
	a	Internodes on the main stems long, woody or spongy Adventitious roots fibrous
	b	Internodes on the main stem short Adventitious roots thickened and fleshy

	a	Internodes with prominent hairs (elongated bladder cells)	Drosanthemum
	b	Internodes with papillate or smooth surface

	a	Fruit a berry	Carpobrotus
	b	Fruit a hygrochastic capsule

	a	Leaf surface mesomorphic Leaves soft
	b	Leaf surface xeromorphic Leaves firm

	a	Capsule multilocular	Malephora
	b	Capsule 5- or 6-locular

	a	Capsule with parallel expanding keels
	b	Capsule with diverging expanding keels

	a	Plants minute, 15 mm high, 30 mm wide	Ectotropis
	b	Plants not minute, taller than 15 mm	Delosperma

	a	Closing bodies large, bipartite	Disphyma
	b	Closing bodies absent Locule closed by funicles	Lampranthus

	a	Leaves with teeth along margins and keel	Chasmatophyllum
	b	Leaves without teeth at margins or keel (but mucronate)

	a	Capsules multilocular
	b	Capsules usually 5- or 6-locular

	a	Capsules with small closing bodies	Jordaaniella
	b	Capsules with large closing bodies

	a	Stems strictly procumbent, each node with adventitious roots	Cephalophyllum
	b	Some stems spreading, later curving down and rooting near their tips (saltatory)	Leipoldtia

	a	Leaves small, <15 mm long	Mossia
	b	Leaves larger, >20 mm long

	a	Fruit without closing bodies	Vlokia
	b	Fruit with closing bodies	Ruschia

	a	Leaves ± sharply triquetrous
	b	Leaves ± club-shaped, terete but widening distally

	a	Capsules with >10 locules	Cephalophyllum
	b	Capsules with <10 locules

	a	Leaf margins serrate	Acrodon
	b	Leaf margins entire

	a	Flowers yellow	Bergeranthus
	b	Flowers purple or white	Khadia

	a	Widened tip of leaf warty, rough	Neohenricia
	b	Widened tip of leaf with a window

	a	Capsules multilocular	Fenestraria
	b	Capsules 5- or 6-locular	Frithia

Ruschioideae Group E Plants with a compact growth form ('Flowering stones') (Internodes of these plants are very short and not visible because they are enclosed by the sheathing leaf bases.)
	a	Plants heterophyllous, i.e. with two different leaf pairs per season
	b	Plants isophyllous or anisophyllous, but not heterophyllous

	a	Leaves xeromorphic	Cheiridopsis
	b	Leaves mesomorphic

	a	Fruit with parallel expanding sheets	Oophytum
	b	Fruit with expanding keels widely diverging and merging gradually into expanding sheets

	a	Plants lower than 40 mm	Diplosoma
	b	Plants higher than 50 mm	Monilaria

	a	Leaves of a pair highly connate (>50%)
	b	Leaves of a pair less connate (<30%)

	a	Plants sunken into the ground or in crevices
	b	Plants above ground, clumpy

	a	Capsules >10-locular
	b	Capsules 5-8-locular

	a	Leaf surface smooth, almost white, hard	Argyroderma
	b	Leaf surface with distant papillae, bright green	Vanheerdea

	a	Fruit with basal bracteoles	Conophytum
	b	Fruit without basal bracteoles

	a	Predominant number of locules per fruit in a population 5 or 6	Lithops
	b	Predominant number of locules per fruit 7 or more

	a	Seeds tuberculate, tubercles distant	Dinteranthus
	b	Seeds smooth to rugose	Lithops

	a	Capsules without covering membranes
	b	Capsules with covering membranes

	a	Leaves firm, xeromorphic	Conophytum
	b	Leaves soft, mesomorphic

	a	Leaves with fine, velvety hairs	Muiria
	b	Leaf surface smooth, sometimes papillate	Conophytum

	a	Leaf surface smooth, glaucous-grey	Argyroderma
	b	Leaf surface with papillae

	a	Capsules 5-8-locular	Gibbaeum
	b	Capsules >10-locular

	a	Capsules with large closing bodies Leaves with prominent teeth along edges	Odontophorus
	b	Capsules without closing bodies	Vanheerdea

	a	Plants with a persistent primary stem forming a head with closely arranged foliage leaves (similar to a rosette, but not flat) Inflorescences developed laterally and mainly basally
	b	Plants without a distinct persistent primary stem and without a head as described above

	a	Leaves xeromorphic Capsules with broad, rectangular valve wings	Cephalophyllum
	b	Leaves mesomorphic Capsules without valve wings or with narrow ones	Conicosia

	a	Leaf surface mesomorphic, with bladder cells or smooth
	b	Leaves xeromorphic, without bladder cells, firm, smooth to papillate

	a	Leaves anisophyllous, tongue-shaped	Glottiphyllum
	b	Leaves isophyllous, ± terete or flattish

	a	Leaf tips with a diadem (a group of spreading bristles with a corky base)	Trichodiadema
	b	Leaf tips without a diadem	Delosperma

	a	Leaves with a sticky surface, sand adhering to it	Psammophora
	b	Leaves not sticky

	a	Leaves triquetrous-acuminate, i.e. tapering from the base into a pointed tip, leaves slender Developing a fleshy stem with age (corm)
	b	Leaves trigonous, hunched (± gibbose), semiglobose-terete, tongue-shaped, or club-shaped but never triquetrous-acuminate as above

	a	Plants growing sunken into the ground on loamy or silty flats Leaf tips emerging	Nananthus
	b	Plants with the leaves completely above ground, in rocky, stony or shaly ground

	a	At least some leaves with teeth or a serrate keel Flowers with central red stripes along petals Fruit with a rounded base	Acrodon
	b	Leaves without teeth, not serrate

	a	Flowers and fruit on stalked dichasia projecting beyond the leaves	Bergeranthus
	b	Flowers ± solitary, not carried above the leaves

	a	Capsule with tiny closing bodies Plants with a thickened rootstock
	b	Capsule with large closing bodies Plants developing corms with age

	a	Capsule with a flat or centrally raised top and a funnel-shaped base	Ebracteola
	b	Capsule with a rounded top and base	Rabiea

	a	Petals striped	Marlothistella
	b	Petals not striped	Khadia

	a	Leaves of a pair anisophyllous
	b	Leaves of a pair isophyllous

	a	Leaves keeled, triangular in cross section
	b	Leaves without a keel (oval to round in cross section)

	a	Keel sharply pleated, serrate	Cephalophyllum
	b	Keel rounded

	a	Leaves ± symmetrical and as broad as thick Capsule without closing bodies	Cerochlamys
	b	Leaves asymmetrical or thicker than broad Capsule with closing bodies	Bijlia

	a	Leaf surface velvety from papillae	Gibbaeum
	b	Leaf surface smooth

	a	Leaves slender, > 3× longer than wide Capsule dark brown with a rounded top	Antegibbaeum
	b	Leaves short, < 3× longer than wide Capsule greyish with a flat top	Tanquana

	a	Plants sunken into the ground
	b	Plants in clumps above the ground

	a	Several subsequent pairs of foliage leaves on a shoot forming a rosette
	b	One pair of foliage leaves per shoot (two only during active growth or in cultivation)

	a	Leaves small, < 8 mm wide
	b	Leaves larger, > 10 mm wide

	a	Leaves with an apical window	Frithia
	b	Leaves with tiny warts, spirally arranged towards tip	Neohenricia

	a	Capsule > 10-locular	Aloinopsis
	b	Capsule 5-7-locular	Titanopsis

	a	Capsule 5-8-locular	Lithops
	b	Capsules >10-locular

	a	Leaves club-shaped with an apical window	Fenestraria
	b	Leaves semiglobose to semi-oval, with a thick whitish surface	Argyroderma

	a	Leaves with well-developed papillae, i.e. velvety to the touch
	b	Leaves without papillae, epidermal cells sometimes elevated but never velvety to the touch

	a	Leaves with teeth
	b	Leaves without teeth

	a	Capsules 5-locular	Schwantesia
	b	Capsules multilocular

	a	Capsules with tiny closing bodies	Ihlenfeldtia
	b	Capsules with large closing bodies

	a	Capsule with a flat top and funnel-shaped base	Cheiridopsis
	b	Capsules with a rounded top and semiglobose base	Odontophorus

	a	Capsules without covering membranes
	b	Capsules with covering membranes

	a	Leaves very thick, semi-ovate, as broad as thick Capsule multilocular	Namibia
	b	Leaves triquetrous, keel prominent Capsule 5-locular	Schwantesia

	a	Capsules <10-locular
	b	Capsules >10-locular

	a	Covering membranes distally reflected, firm, resilient	Antimima
	b	Covering membranes straight or distally inflexed, thin, flexible	Gibbaeum

	a	Capsules with narrow valve wings	Cheiridopsis
	b	Capsules with broad valve wings, at least at their base

	a	Valve wings rectangular	Cephalophyllum
	b	Valve wings tapering into awns, pointed	Aloinopsis

	a	Leaves without a distinct keel, although sometimes hunched (± gibbose), therefore oval to round in cross section
	b	Leaves keeled, therefore triangular in cross section

	a	Capsules 5-8-locular	Cylindrophyllum
	b	Capsules with > 10 locules

	a	Leaves semiglobose, less than twice as long as broad	Pleiospilos
	b	Leaves elongate, at least as long as broad	Cephalophyllum

	a	Capsule multilocular (>10)
	b	Capsules 5-8-locular

	a	Capsules without closing bodies	Dracophilus
	b	Capsules with closing bodies

	a	Closing bodies small	Machairophyllum
	b	Closing bodies large

	a	Leaves whitish	Argyroderma
	b	Leaves dark green

	a	Capsules dark brown, ± round	Pleiospilos
	b	Capsules greyish brown, with an almost flat top	Cheiridopsis

	a	Capsules with covering membranes
	b	Capsules without covering membranes, sometimes with a rim

	a	Leaves fat and short Flowers and fruits solitary
	b	Leaves more than three times longer than broad Flowers and fruits in dichasia

	a	Flowers developed seemingly laterally One leaf pair per branch	Didymaotus
	b	Flowers clearly terminal 2 or 3 leaf pairs per branch	Lapidaria

	a	Flowers white	Nelia
	b	Flowers yellow

	a	Leaves with an extensive, often emarginate hunch superseding the tip of the upper side of the leaf	Rhombophyllum
	b	Leaves only moderately hunched (gibbose)	Hereroa

	a	Valve wings absent or narrow
	b	Valve wings broader than expanding keels, rectangular

	a	Valve wings absent Flowers white or pink	Ruschianthus
	b	Valve wings narrow Flowers yellow	Carruanthus

	a	Valve wings stiff and woody, stretching over the locules	Faucaria
	b	Valve wings flexible

	a	Flowers (and fruits) with bracteoles
	b	Flowers and fruits without bracteoles

	a	Leaves rounded-trigonous, sides concave, rarely straight Flowers with hypanthium	Stomatium
	b	Leaves sharply triangular, sides straight to concave Flowers without a hypanthium

	a	Margins of leaves with teeth (sometimes few) Leaves bright green	Orthopterum
	b	Margins of leaves entire Leaves whitish	Conophytum

	a	Leaves with a prominent, hard, spiny tip	Schwantesia
	b	Leaves with a rounded though mucronate tip	Dinteranthus

Ruschioideae Group F Plants with caespitose growth form (Internodes are short, the main shoots prostrate; adventitious roots are absent or only rarely formed.)
		a	Leaves mesomorphic, with or without bladder cells
		b	Leaves xeromorphic, firm, smooth to papillate, velvety

	a	Leaves of a pair anisophyllous	Glottiphyllum
	b	Leaves of a pair isophyllous

	a	Internodes smooth	Delosperma
	b	Internodes with hairs derived from elongated bladder cells	Drosanthemum

	a	Leaves with apical windows
	b	Leaves without apical windows

	a	Capsules 5-locular	Frithia
	b	Capsules multilocular	Fenestraria

	a	Plants anisophyllous
	b	Plants isophyllous

	a	Leaf surface velvety or minutely papillate	Gibbaeum
	b	Leaf surface smooth

	a	Capsules with >10 locules	Cephalophyllum
	b	Capsules with <10 locules	Antegibbaeum

	a	Leaves of a pair united into a fleshy body (corpuscule)	Conophytum
	b	Leaves of a pair free for most of their length

	a	Leaves finger-shaped to terete, not keeled
	b	Leaves trigonous to triquetrous, keeled

	a	Leaves small, < 6 mm in diameter, with spirally arranged warts	Neohenricia
	b	Leaves larger, > 8 mm in diameter, without warts

	a	Leaves greyish green Capsules with a flat top Flowers with a hypanthium, number of elements < 300	Argyroderma
	b	Leaves dark green Capsules with high valve rims, top therefore elevated Flowers without a hypanthium, number of elements > 2 000	Cylindrophyllum

	a	Leaf surface velvety-papillate
	b	Leaf surface smooth or rough, but not papillate

	a	Closing bodies small	Ihlenfeldtia
	b	Closing bodies large

	a	Valve wings rectangular, if pointed, plants heterophyllous	Cheiridopsis
	b	Valve wings tapering into awns	Odontophorus

	a	Leaves trigonous
	b	Leaves sharply triquetrous, ± awl-shaped

	a	Covering membranes absent or narrow rims
	b	Covering membranes complete

	a	Leaves with teeth along margins, rarely only horny	Stomatium
	b	Leaves without teeth, surface rough from hard white tubercles, or smooth	Rhinephyllum

	a	Closing bodies small, hook-shaped	Ruschia
	b	Closing bodies large or bipartite

	a	Covering membranes undulate with dorsal appendages	Antimima
	b	Covering membranes straight, ± flat

	a	Leaves with an extensive, often emarginate hunch superseding the tip of the leaf	Rhombophyllum
	b	Leaves not or only moderately hunched	Hereroa

	a	Flowers and fruits solitary	Khadia
	b	Flowers and fruit in exserted dichasia	Bergeranthus

Ruschioideae Group G Shrubs or shrublets without spines (Plants with woody, rarely succulent, persistent stems.)
	a	Leaves soft, with or without bladder cells
	b	Leaves firm

	a	Plants homophyllous, producing several similar leaf pairs per season
	b	Plants heterophyllous, producing two leaf pairs per season

	a	Internodes with prominent hairs (elongated bladder cells)	Drosanthemum
	b	Internodes without prominent distant hairs

	a	Leaf tips with apical diadems (groups of spreading bristles with a corky base)	Trichodiadema
	b	Leaf tips without diadems, although sometimes with elongated bladder cells

	a	Covering membranes absent	Delosperma
	b	Covering membranes present

	a	Capsules with > 10 locules	Malephora
	b	Capsule with 5-8 locules

	a	Leaves as long and broad as a finger Flowers with a nectary ring	Jacobsenia
	b	Leaves shorter, if as long as a finger then more slender Flowers with 5 separate nectaries

	a	Leaves broadly trigonous, glaucous-grey, often dentate	Oscularia
	b	Leaves terete or semiterete, if trigonous, shorter than 20 mm

	a	Inflorescences mostly as solitary flowers	Lampranthus
	b	Inflorescences distinctly differentiated from the vegetative part, very floriferous, bracteate and bracteolate

	a	Leaves terete, up to 60 mm long, apically rounded	Scopelogena
	b	Leaves trigonous, up to 30 mm long, apiculate	Mestoklema

	a	Leaves toothed	Hammeria
	b	Leaves not toothed

	a	Basal parts of old leaf sheaths sclerotic, completely enveloping the stem	Monilaria
	b	Old leaf sheaths papery or parchment-like

	a	Bracteoles connate, forming a cup enclosing the base of the flower	Dicrocaulon
	b	Bracteoles well below the flower

	a	Both leaf pairs of a season connate for > 30% of their length	Meyerophytum
	b	First leaf pair of a season connate for > 25% of its length, spreading, the second connate for > 50%, erect	Mitrophyllum

	a	Leaves continuous with succulent, green internodes
	b	Leaves clearly distinct from the wooden internodes

	a	Fruit 5-7-locular
	b	Fruit >8-locular

	a	Capsules without closing bodies, with valve wings Seeds echinate	Braunsia
	b	Capsules with closing bodies, without valve wings Seeds smooth or papillate	Ruschia

	a	Capsules 10- or more-locular
	b	Capsules 8-locular

	a	Leaves more than 50 mm long, semiterete, tip blunt	Leipoldtia
	b	Leaves less than 20 mm long, triquetrous, tip spiny	Polymita

	a	Covering membranes reduced	Zeuktophyllum
	b	Covering membranes well developed

	a	Valves basally connate, only tips expanding once, capsule then staying open	Stayneria
	b	Valve free to base, capsule opening repeatedly	Smicrostigma

	a	Leaves longer than internodes, dominating the aspect (succulent shrubs)
	b	Leaves shorter than internodes, aspect dominated by woody stems (woody shrubs)

	a	Leaves almost globular, shaped like a grape	Jensenobotrya
	b	Leaves trigonous to terete

	a	Internodes shiny, spongy	Jordaaniella
	b	Internodes rough from peeling bark

	a	Foliage leaves slender, digitiform, leaves in inflorescence trigonous, much shorter	Ottosonderia
	b	Leaves similar

	a	Seeds echinate
	b	Seeds glabrous or papillate

	a	Capsules with closing bodies, without valve wings	Astridia
	b	Capsules without closing bodies, with valve wings	Braunsia

	a	Capsules without covering membranes
	b	Capsules with covering membranes

	a	Fruit not closing properly after opening	Corpuscularia
	b	Fruit opening and closing repeatedly when wetted	Hartmanthus

	a	Capsules with closing bodies
	b	Capsules without closing bodies

	a	Capsules 5-locular	Astridia
	b	Capsules > 10-locular

	a	Fruit in persistent inflorescences to which partial inflorescences are added each season Valve wings rectangular	Cephalophyllum
	b	Fruit solitary or in dichasia, sometimes persistent Valve wings tapering slightly	Schlechteranthus

	a	Valve wings absent
	b	Valve wings present

	a	Flowers bright magenta	Enarganthe
	b	Flowers white to pink	Wooleya

	a	Capsules 5-locular	Hereroa
	b	Capsules > 8-locular

	a	Flowers bright magenta	Namaquanthus
	b	Flowers white

	a	Calyx 4-lobed	Juttadinteria
	b	Calyx 6-8-lobed	Jacobsenia

	a	Capsules 5-locular (rarely up to 10 locules)
	b	Capsules > 8-locular

	a	Fruits woody, dispersal units nutlets	Ruschianthemum
	b	Fruit loculicidal capsules

	a	Capsules opening only once completely
	b	Capsules opening repeatedly

	a	Seeds flat, dispersal by wind	Stoeberia
	b	Seeds roundish, dispersal by rain	Erepsia

	a	Capsules with closing bodies
	b	Capsules without closing bodies

	a	Valve wings absent	Ruschia
	b	Valve wings present

	a	Closing bodies large, locules shallow	Antimima
	b	Closing bodies small, locules deep

	a	Capsules breaking away from pedicels Plants therefore ± spiny	Eberlanzia
	b	Capsules remaining on pedicels	Amphibolia

	a	Valve wings broad
	b	Valve wings absent or narrow

	a	Leaves rough from tiny elevations	Rhinephyllum
	b	Leaves smooth, glabrous

	a	Valve wings rectangular	Lampranthus
	b	Valve wings narrowed towards the tip	Circandra

	a	Valve wings absent, expanding keels short and radial	Esterhuysenia
	b	Valve wings narrow (rarely broader), expanding keels longer, diverging	Erepsia

	a	Plants with a compact centre and long shoots
	b	Plants without a compact renewal centre of assimilating short shoots

	a	Long shoots procumbent but never rooting	Hallianthus
	b	Long shoots erect, later leaning in other shrubs

	a	Plants homophyllous Leaves with dentate margins	Odontophorus
	b	Plants heterophyllous (first leaf pair of a branch highly connate) Leaves entire, mucronate	Vanzijlia

	a	Capsules without closing bodies	Erepsia
	b	Capsules with closing bodies

	a	Covering membranes straight	Octopoma
	b	Covering membranes distally recurved and undulate	Leipoldtia

Ruschioideae Group H Shrubs or shrublets with spines
	a	Capsules 6-9-locular
	b	Capsules 5-locular (very rarely 4- or 6-locular)

	a	Valve wings rectangular, broader than expanding keels More spines than fruits per inflorescence Closing bodies large Internodes often shorter than leaves	Leipoldtia
	b	Valve wings reduced to awns or absent Few spines per inflorescence Closing bodies medium-sized, hook-shaped	Ruschia

	a	Closing bodies absent	Mestoklema
	b	Closing bodies present

	a	Closing bodies large, white Covering membranes without additional closing devices	Arenifera
	b	Closing bodies small, translucent to glassy Covering membranes with closing rodlets

	a	Valve wings broad Blunt spines derived from pedicels after the ripe fruit has been shed	Eberlanzia
	b	Valve wings absent or very narrow Sharp spines developed from pedicels after abortion mainly of buds or flowers	Ruschia subgenus Spinosa