| | 1. Leaf tip spine-like; bud 1–2.5 cm; seed cone bract exserted 1.5–4.5 cm |
| A. bracteata |
| | 1' Leaf tip notched, blunt, or acute; bud < 1 cm; seed cone bract included or exserted < 1 cm |
| |
| | 2. Leaf upper surface without longitudinal whitish bands |
| |
| | 3. Twig leaves 2-ranked, alternating shorter and longer on each side; seed cone 8–15 cm |
| A. grandis |
| | 3' Twig leaves not 2-ranked, often crowded on upper side, ± equal throughout; seed cone < 13 cm |
| |
| | 4. Leaf < 3 cm, dark green; bark ashy gray; twig ± hairy; Klamath Ranges |
| A. amabilis |
| | 4' Leaf 3–9 cm, blue-green; bark dark gray to ± black; twig glabrous; widespread in California |
| A. concolor |
| | 2' Leaf upper surface with 2 faint, longitudinal, whitish bands |
| |
| | 5. Leaf ± flat; seed cone bract included |
| A. lasiocarpa var. lasiocarpa |
| | 5' Leaf ± 3- or 4-angled (sometimes ± flat on twigs without cones); seed cone bract included or exserted |
| |
| | 6. Seed cone bract included |
| A. magnifica var. magnifica |
| | 6' Seed cone bract exserted |
| |
| | 7. Seed cone bracts slightly exserted, ± reflexed, covering < 25% of cone surface |
| A. magnifica var. shastensis |
| | 7' Seed cone bracts much exserted, strongly reflexed, covering > 90% of cone surface |
| A. procera
|