| | 1. Leaves green at least above, often glandular, sometimes sparsely tomentose |
| |
| | 2. Leaves green, glandular on both surfaces, sometimes sparsely tomentose |
| |
| | 3. Larger cauline leaves 10–15 mm wide, upper green at flowering; heads spheric; phyllaries generally white |
| G. californicum |
| | 3' Larger cauline leaves 5–7 mm wide, all generally withered at flowering; heads narrower than high; phyllaries dull white to greenish or pinkish |
| G. ramosissimum |
| | 2' Leaves green, glabrous or glandular above, densely tomentose below |
| |
| | 4. Heads densely clustered in leafy-bracted axils; phyllaries brown |
| |
| | 5. Basal leaves many more than cauline; perennial herb; leafy bracts short |
| G. collinum |
| | 5' Basal leaves 0 or fewer than cauline; annual; leafy bracts long |
| G. japonicum |
| | 4' Heads in open to dense, panicle-like clusters; leafy bracts 0; phyllaries white or pale yellow |
| |
| | 6. Plant from rhizome; leaf surface not glandular above; herbage not scented; pistillate corollas 4–5 mm |
| Anaphalis margaritacea |
| | 6' Plant from taproot; leaf surface densely glandular-puberulent above; herbage generally ± strongly scented; pistillate corollas 3–4 mm |
| |
| | 7. Cauline leaves 4–16 mm wide, clasping; heads 5.5–6 mm |
| G. bicolor |
| | 7' Cauline leaves 2–4 mm wide, not clasping; heads 6.5–7 mm |
| G. leucocephalum |
| | 1' Leaves gray, densely tomentose on both surfaces |
| |
| | 8. Perennial (biennial); basal leaf-tufts present at flowering |
| G. canescens |
| | 9. Heads 4–5 mm; pistillate corollas 2.5–3 mm; leaves of sterile shoots narrowly spoon-shaped |
| subsp. thermale |
| | 9' Heads 5–6 mm; pistillate corollas 3–4 mm; leaves of sterile shoots linear to oblanceolate |
| |
| | 10. Leaves narrowly lanceolate, cauline ascending to erect |
| subsp. beneolens |
| | 10' Leaves ± oblong to spoon-shaped, cauline spreading |
| |
| | 11. Middle phyllaries ± 3 × > wide, tips ± acute |
| subsp. canescens |
| | 11' Middle phyllaries ± 2 × > wide, tips obtuse or rounded |
| subsp. microcephalum |
| | 8' Annual or biennial; basal leaf-tufts 0 at flowering |
| |
| | 12. Hairs closely appressed, rarely loose; phyllaries brown to purple |
| G. purpureum |
| | 12' Hairs not appressed, ± woolly, often loose and tufted; phyllaries white (at least tips) |
| |
| | 13. Stem generally < 20 cm; phyllaries brown, tips short, whitish; flowers 40–60 per head |
| G. palustre |
| | 13' Stem 30–60 cm in healthy plants; phyllary upper 1/2 white or pale yellow, transparent or opaque; flowers 50–120 per head |
| |
| | 14. Heads 3–4.2 mm; pistillate corollas 1.5–2 mm; pappus bristles falling in clusters |
| G. luteo-album |
| | 14' Heads 3.8–5.2 mm; pistillate corollas 1.8–2.5 mm; pappus bristles falling singly |
| G. stramineum
|