KEY TO THE GENERA OF THE CONOPHYTUM CLADE
1. Old leaves do not form a sheath that encloses the emerging leaf pair during dormancy........................2
1 ′. Old leaves form sheaths that encloses the emerging leaf pair during dormancy.........................................6
2. Capsules five-locular, without covering membranes....................................................................................3
2 ′. Capsules multilocular (more than seven locules), with covering membranes........................................4
3. Flowers green, never opening fully as restricted by adjacent leaf pair; leaves sickle-shaped; pollen unknown; caespitose, with leaves held upright......... ............................................................ Ruschianthus
3 ′. Flowers white to pink, opening fully; leaves shortly clavate to almost globose; pollen syncolpate; shrub, with leaves hanging down cliffs like bunches of grapes............................................... Jensenobotrya
4. Leaves not fused at the base, trigonous to clubshaped; flowers without filamentous staminodes..... ............................................................... Enarganthe
4 ′. Leaves fused at least 1 / 3 of their length at the base, leaves finger-shaped, triquetrous to trigonous; flowers with or without filamentous staminodes.............5
5. Capsules without closing bodies; finger-shaped leaves which almost form a U-shape......................... ........................................................ Namaquanthus
5 ′. Capsules with closing bodies; leaves triquetrous to trigonous.................................... Schlechteranthus
6. Petaloid staminodes fused forming a tube; capsules soft and papery, three to eight-locular, without covering membranes and closing bodies......................... .............................................................. Conophytum
6. Petaloid staminodes free, not forming a tube; capsules hard and woody, 8- to 18-locular, with covering membranes and closing bodies............ Cheiridopsis