| 1 | Plants low, delicate and tufted, often moss-like, inflorescence either sessile or raised on a bractless scape no longer than 15-20 cm; spread corolla no broader then 1.2 cm, pale blue to white. |
| 1' | Plants taller, inflorescence raised well above leaves on a scape rarely as low as 15 cm, this with at least 1 pair of erect scape bracts; spread corolla 1.5 cm wide or more, bright blue to violet. |
| 2 | Scape present, though frequently exceeded by leaves. |
| 2' | Scape lacking or short, inflorescence sessile or subsessile. |
| 3 | Leaf blades flattened, soft, elongate-linear, tip acute, short-acuminate or apiculate; lateral sepals (when spread) broadest at middle or above, emarginate, mucronulate; stylar appendages narrowly linear-clavate, declinate; capsule apex smooth or nearly so; seeds minutely papillose. |
| 3' | Leaf blades thickened, variously angled, lunate or trigonous in cross-section, tapering to an abruptly blunt, setaceous-awned tip; lateral sepals broadest below middle, the apex tapered, not emarginate; stylar appendages much broadened distally, ascending or spreading-ascending; capsule apex papillose; seeds not papillose. |
| 4 | Leaves, or some of them, granular-papillose or tuberculate-scabridulous; spike under 1 cm long; lateral sepal keel variously scabridulous or papillose; stylar appendages declinate, narrow. |
| 4' | Leaves smooth throughout; spike ca. 1 cm long; lateral sepal keel smooth; stylar appendages ascending, much broadened distally. |
| 5 | Spikes broadly ellipsoid to ovoid or even globose or hemispheric; sepal tips atte- nuate to sharply acute, much projected beyond tip of subtending bract, keel often excurrent as a cusp or arista. |
| 5' | Spikes narrowly ellipsoid, lanceoloid or cylindric; sepal tips acute, only slightly projected beyond tip of subtending bract, keel tip lacking a cusp or arista. |
| 6 | Leaf blades at their widest fully 1 cm wide, usually wider; scape bracts mostly 2 or more pairs; lateral sepals strongly curved, much longer than their subtending bract; stylar appendages lacking basal auricles; seed ribs strongly connected by cross-ribs |
| 6' | Leaf blades at their widest mostly 5 mm wide or less; scape bracts a single pair; lateral sepals variously longer than their subtending bract; stylar appendages with basal auricles; seed ribs not strongly connected by cross-ribs. |
| 7 | Lowest (largest) pair of scape bracts mostly 2-3 (-3.5) cm long; spikes broadly ovoid to hemispheric or subglobose, rarely over 2 cm long. |
| 7' | Lowest (largest) pair of scape bracts (3-)3.5-6 cm long; spikes broadly ovoid to ellipsoid or narrowly ovoid, mostly 2.5 cm long or longer. |
| 8 | Leaf blades mostly elongated-linear, abruptly narrowed apically, their margins thickened; spikes many-flowered, bracts subulate-aristate; caosule valves sharp-tipped. |
| 8' | Leaf blades mostly tapering gradually from base to tip, their margins thin; spikes few-flowered, bracts tipped by a short, stout, blunt mucro; capsule valves blunt-tipped, slightly retuse. |
| 9 | Scapes mostly with 2(-3) pairs of bracts, these 1.5-3 cm long plants usually not over 6 dm high. |
| 9' | Scapes mostly with but 1(-2) pairs of bracts, these 4-6 cm long; plants mostlv 6-10 dm high. |
