| 1 | Inflorescence always an umbel with 1 to few spathes (Amaryllidoideae) |
| 1' | Inflorescence not an umbel, spathes absent (Hypoxidoideae) |
| 2 | Filaments inserted on the throat of the perigone-tube, with a thin membrane sometimes 1- or 2-toothed between the filaments (false corona). True corona absent. |
| 2' | Filaments free from the perigone-tube, false corona absent. True corona present or not |
| 3 | Leaves distincdy petiolate, subcircular to elliptic, cuneate to slightly cordate at base. |
| 3' | Leaves sessile or subpetiolate, linear to narrowly elliptic, attenuate into the petiole |
| 4 | Perigone-tube up to 3.5 cm long, straight. Ovules 2 per cell. |
| 4' | Perigone-tube at least 3.5 cm long, often curved. Ovules usually 6 or more per cell (cult.) |
| 5 | Ovary with 10 or more biseriate ovules in each cell. Fruit dry, 3-loculicid. Seeds black |
| 5' | Ovary with 1-9 ovules near the bottom in each cell. Fruit fleshy, finally rupturing laterally. Seeds green |
| 6 | Flowers with a corona (cult.) |
| 6' | Flowers without a corona |
| 7 | Inflorescences always 1-flowered |
| 7' | Inflorescences 2-to many-flowered |
| 8 | Perigone zygomorphic with free tepals; the outer ones much broader than the inner, the latter connate into a channel enveloping stamens and style (cult.) |
| 8' | Perigone actinomorphic with tepals united at the base |
| 9 | Perigone-tube less than 3 cm long. Longest filaments more than 10 cm long. Style bent out of the flower (cult.) |
| 9' | Perigone-tube more than 5 cm long. Longest filaments less than 8 cm long. Style erect in the centre of the flower (cult.) |
| 10 | Tepals free, brilliant white with a small green blotch below the top (cult.) |
| 10' | Tepals at base united into a tube |
| 11 | Flowers distinctly zygomorphic |
| 11' | Flowers actinomorphic or nearly so |
| 12 | Leaves petiolate, 2 or 3 times as long as wide. Perigone violet. Ovules 2 per cell (cult.) |
| 12' | Leaves sessile, more than 5 times as long as wide. Perigone red, reddish, pink or white. Ovules numerous in each cell |
| 13 | Peduncle solid (cult.) |
| 13' | Peduncle fistular (cult.) |
| 14 | Perigone-tube more than 5 cm long |
| 14' | Perigone-tube up to 5 cm long |
| 15 | Peduncle fistular. Stamens inserted in the perigone-tube. Fruit a capsule |
| 15' | Peduncle solid. Stamens inserted at the throat or on the segments of the perigone. Fruit a berry |
| 16 | Perigone-tube funnel-shaped (cult.) |
| 16' | Perigone-tube narrow (cult.) |
| 17 | Perigone-tube funnel-shaped, segments wide, orange-coloured (cult.) |
| 17' | Perigone-tube narrow, segments linear, reddish to purple (cult.) |
| 18 | Tepals very shortly to distinctly united into a tube. Fruit fleshy, indehiscent or irregularly dehiscent, often persistently beaked |
| 18' | Tepals free. Fruit dry, regularly dehiscent, never beaked. |
