| 1A. | Young stems densely pubescent, villous or velutinous; stipules pubescent; plants prostrate or decumbent | 2 |
| 1B. | Young stems glabrous or sparsely pubescent on the edges; stipules usually glabrous; plants erect or prostrate | 3 |
| 2A. | Young stems villous, the pubescence concentrated on the edges; petiole gland elliptic, 0.6–1.4 mm broad; fruits 3.5–5.5 mm wide, apiculate, densely aggregated on peduncle, valves never curling after dehiscence | D. painteri |
| 2B. | Young stems completely velutinous; petiole gland orbicular, 0.3–0.6 mm diameter; fruits 2–3.5 mm wide apiculate or rarely obtuse at apex, not densely aggregated on peduncle, valves curling after dehiscence | D. velutinus |
| 3A. | Leaflets with raised venation abaxially | D. obtusus |
| 3B. | Leaflets with unraised elevation veins abaxially or only the eccentric midvein visible | 4 |
| 4A. | Leaflets 20–50 pairs per pinna; pinnae often lanceolate, leaflets gradually decreasing in size distally; stipules with small auricles | D. paspalaceus |
| 4B. | Leaflets 25 pairs per pinna or fewer; pinnae oblong, leaflets not tapering distally; stipules with well-developed auricles | 5 |
| 5A. | Peduncles 3.5–7.5 cm long; fruits with black, reticulate venation | D. pringlei |
| 5B. | Peduncles 0.5–3 cm long; fruits without black, reticulate venation | 6 |
| 6A. | Petiolar gland more than 1, 1 more at the insertion of the distal pair of pinnae; fruit valves curling after dehiscence | D. glandulosus |
| 5B. | Petiolar gland 1, at the insertion of the proximal pair of pinnae; fruit valves not curling after dehiscence | D. virgatus |