| 1 | Leafy plants; flowers often large and colorful, then (3-)5- or 6-merous, bi- or unisexual, ovary topped by a calyculus; inflorescence spicate, racemose, or umbellate, flowers often pedicellate and/or in triads/dyads and provided with bracteoles |
| 1' | Leafy or squamate plants; flowers small and greenish, unisexual, 2- to 4-merous, ovary lacking a calyculus; inflorescences spicate, flowers sessile, ebracteolate, not in triads but often spread along, and sunken in internodes of spike |
| 2 | Leafy or squamate plants; flowers sunken into inflorescence axis, often in longitudinal series along inflorescence internodes; inflorescences usually axillary; leaves decussate |
| 2' | Squamate plants; flowers not sunken into inflorescence axis, solitary in axils of scale leaves; inflorescences at tips of branches; leaves alternate |
