| 1 | Petals imbricate. Tribe Aralieae. |
| 1' | Petals valvate. |
| 2 | Leaves simple, palmately or pinnately lobed, or entire. |
| 2' | Leaves pinnately compound (or bi- or tripinnate). |
| 3 | Leaves palmately lobed, tomentose |
| 3' | Leaves pinnately lobed or entire, glabrous. |
| 4 | Leaves twice (or more) pinnate |
| 4' | Leaves once pinnate. |
| 5 | Leaflets many |
| 5' | Leaflets 5 or fewer |
| 6 | Petals with a narrow base, or claw. Tribe Mackinlayeae |
| 6' | Petals with a broad base. Tribe Schefflereae. |
| 7 | Inflorescence rays trifid: central branch shorter with 'false fruits', the two lateral longer with normal flowers |
| 7' | Inflorescence branches not as above. |
| 8 | Ovary with one cell |
| 8' | Ovary with more than one cell. |
| 9 | Leaves pinnate. |
| 9' | Leaves not pinnate. |
| 10 | Pedicel not articulated below the flower |
| 10' | Pedicel articulated below the flower |
| 11 | Pedicel articulated below the flower. |
| 11' | Pedicel not articulated below the flower. |
| 12 | Leaves digitately compound (or rarely unifoliolate) (Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Java) |
| 12' | Leaves simple, not articulated with the petiole (West New Guinea). |
| 13 | Leaf simple (or unifoliolate) or palmately lobed. |
| 13' | Leaf digitately compound. |
| 14 | Leaf palmately lobed. |
| 14' | Leaf simple (or unifoliolate). |
| 15 | Ovary 2-celled |
| 15' | Ovary 10- or more-celled |
| 16 | Articulation present between petiole and blade |
| 16' | No articulation between petiole and blade. |
| 17 | Ovary 2-celled |
| 17' | Ovary 4- or more-celled |
| 18 | Petiolules joined together by a web of tissue |
| 18' | No such web of tissue present. |
| 19 | Styles or stigmas 2. |
| 19' | Styles or stigmas more than 2 |
| 20 | Style bifid |
| 20' | Styles united into a column |
