| 1 | ♂ Flower heads solitary, each on top of an axillary or slightly supra-axillary peduncle (as is always the case with the ♀ ones) on younger foliate parts of the branchlets. |
| 1' | ♂ Flower heads several together, composed to an inflorescence, the latter either from foliate or defoliate axils, or from tubercles on the stem. |
| 2 | ♂ Flower heads rather few, composed to a true raceme, i.e. the peduncled heads spaced along a rachis. |
| 2' | ♂ Flower heads numerous, composed to a spike-like panicle. |
| 3 | ♂ Flower heads in fascicles or glomerules, these markedly spaced at least in the lower half of the rachis. |
| 3' | ♂ Flower heads in short-peduncled cymes, secondary racemes or panicles, these generally close together (rarely spaced) along the rachis. |
| 4 | Leaves broadly oblong, base slightly cordate, flat in dry specimens. |
| 5 | Bracts in the ♂ inflorescences persistent, markedly plumed by ± spreading hairs. |
| 5' | Bracts in the ♂ inflorescences wanting (already gone in full anthesis), or if persistent, filiform to narrow-subulate, and not markedly plumed. |
| 6 | Basal part of bracts hardly or not widened. |
| 6' | Basal part of bracts widened up to 5 mm. |
| 7 | ♂ Inflorescences rather short, 2.5-5 by (0.5-)1-1.5 cm. Leaves normally oblong or oblong-lanceolate, early glabrescent. |
| 7' | ♂ Inflorescences elongate to caudate, i.e. markedly longer and at least 2 cm ø. Leaves oblong to ovate-cordate, or palmate, generally tardily or hardly glabrescent. |
| 8 | Leaves normally palmate, i.e. deeply and narrowly (3-)5(-7)-lobed in flowering specimens. |
| 8' | Leaves normally entire or ± broadly 3-lobed in flowering specimens (sometimes palmate in sterile juvenile specimens). |
| 9 | ♂ Inflorescences slender, c. 2 cm ø. Bracts ± persistent, numerous, much exserted beyond the partial inflorescences. Drupe 4.5-8 by 1.5-2.3 cm incl. the hollow beak of the exocarp. |
| 9' | ♂ Inflorescences thickish, (2.5-)3 cm or more ø. Bracts, if persistent, rather few and less exserted. |
| 10 | Mature drupe 3-4(-4.5) by 1.5-2 cm incl. the hollow short beak of the exocarp; hard endocarp (2-)2.5-3(-3.5) cm long. |
| 10' | Mature drupe (5.5-)6-10(-13) cm long incl. the hollow elongate beak of the exocarp. |
