Inflorescence cymose; tepals subequal, spreading, blue, purple or white. Stamens with filaments glabrous, with a papillose swelling near apex; anthers dehiscing extrorsely by pores becoming slits.
For notes on how to collect a good herbarium specimen of this genus, see G. Carr (2007) in ASBS Newsletter 133: 30-35 (http://www.cpbr.gov.au/asbs/newsletter/newsletter_133.html).
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Leaf sheaths more than half occluded | 2 |
| Leaf sheaths less than half occluded or leaves less than 4 mm wide and therefore hard to see extent of occlusion | 9 |
| 2 | Veins on lower surface of leaf blade more or less touching (less than a vein breadth of surface visible between any two veins); veins regular, with minute papillae on top and/or sides of veins (except var. vinosa), occasionally papillae so dense as to mask the veins; anthers pale brown to black | 3 |
| Veins on lower surface of leaf blade spaced out so that the distance between any 2 equal to or greater than the breadth of a vein (if more or less close together then veins are of irregular breadth and/or blade margins not revolute); no papillae on lower surface of blade; anthers yellow to yellow-brown or blue
Back to 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Inflorescence held amongst the foliage; leaves yellow-green; leaf sheaths not papillose; roots fleshy-fibrous; outer tepals 5.0–5.5 mm long; inner tepals 4.5–5.0 mm long; ovules 2 per loculus | Dianella brevipedunculata |
| Inflorescence mostly held above the foliage; leaves glaucous or grey-green; leaf sheaths usually papillose at least near base; roots fibrous; outer tepals 5.5–10 mm long; inner tepals 5.2–10.5 mm long; ovules 4–10 per loculus
Back to 2 | Dianella revoluta |
| 4 | Leaf sheaths open, more or less flattened with lower midvein strongly rounded and not much more prominent than several other veins | Dianella nervosa |
| Leaf sheaths conduplicate, usually sharply keeled on lower surface
Back to 2 | 5 |
| 5 | Anther length less than or equal to filament swelling; fruit 12–25 mm long, longer than wide; prickles on leaf margins clearly visible to the naked eye | Dianella tasmanica |
| Anther length greater than filament swelling; fruit 4–12 mm long, shorter than or as long as wide; leaf margins smooth or with mostly minute prickles
Back to 4 | 6 |
| 6 | Leaves glaucous or grey-green, strongly purplish red towards base | 7 |
| Plants yellow-green or grey-green, glaucous in Dianella caerulea var. cinerascens, but not strongly reddish at base (occasionally red-tinged)
Back to 5 | 8 |
| 7 | Roots fibrous; seeds shining, 2.9–3.7 mm long | Dianella revoluta |
| Roots fleshy-fibrous; seeds more or less dull, 3.5–5 mm long
Back to 6 | Dianella prunina |
| 8 | Inflorescence exceeding foliage; leaf margins and midrib scabrous at least towards base of blade; in non-maritime habitats | Dianella caerulea |
| Inflorescence amongst foliage; leaf margins and midrib smooth; in maritime habitats
Back to 6 | Dianella congesta |
| 9 | Leaf blades less than 4 mm wide | 10 |
| Leaf blades more than 4 mm wide
Back to 1 | 12 |
| 10 | Leaves without prominent veins on lower surface, soft-textured | Dianella rara |
| Leaves with several very prominent veins on lower surface, tough-textured
Back to 9 | 11 |
| 11 | Lateral veins more slender than midrib and often not very well-defined; roots tuberous | Dianella longifolia |
| Lateral veins as coarse as midrib; roots fleshy-fibrous
Back to 10 | Dianella nervosa |
| 12 | Roots fleshy-fibrous or tuberous; outer tepals 5–9-veined | 13 |
| Roots fibrous; outer tepals 5–7-veined
Back to 9 | Dianella caerulea |
| 13 | Pedicels more or less rounded; outer tepals 5-veined | Dianella longifolia |
| Pedicels narrowly but sharply ridged; outer tepals 5–9-veined
Back to 12 | Dianella crinoides |
