1	Bracts ovate to lanceolate, 1--3.5 cm, herbaceous, usually 7- or more veined.		(2)
+	Bracts subulate to linear-lanceolate, rarely to 1.2 cm, membranous, scarious, or subherbaceous with scarious margin, 1--5-veined, or veinless, or bracts absent.		(5)
2 (1)	Perianth 3.5--5 mm; rhizome tuberous terete, 15--20 mm thick		4 Polygonatum leiboense
+	Perianth 11--25 mm; rhizome terete or ± moniliform, 3--6 mm thick, slender.		(3)
3 (2)	Plants laxly pubescent except basal part of stem and flowers; inflorescences 3- or 4-bracteate		3 Polygonatum megaphyllum
+	Plants glabrous; inflorescences (1 or)2-bracteate.		(4)
4 (3)	Bracts borne at base of pedicel, ovate to broadly ovate-elliptic, 2--3.5 × 1--3 cm; filaments papillose		1 Polygonatum involucratum
+	Bracts borne near apex of pedicel, lanceolate to oblong-lanceolate, to 2 × 0.3--0.6 cm; filaments smooth		2 Polygonatum desoulavyi
5 (1)	Plants hirsutulous except flowers		27 Polygonatum hirtellum
+	Plants glabrous, or sometimes scabridulous, papillose, or hirsutulous on stem (glabrous on leaves).		(6)
6 (5)	Leaves mostly opposite or whorled.		(7)
+	Leaves alternate or mostly so.		(24)
7 (6)	Perianth (15--)18--25 mm.		(8)
+	Perianth 5--12(--15) mm.		(9)
8 (7)	Plants large, usually 1--3 m tall; leaves whorled, strongly cirrose at apex; perianth lobes 3--5 mm		17 Polygonatum kingianum
+	Plants small, less than 10 cm tall; leaves crowded, or alternate on proximal part of stem, straight at apex; perianth lobes 6--10 mm		18 Polygonatum hookeri
9 (7)	Filaments 5--7 mm		28 Polygonatum wardii
+	Filaments 0.5--3(--4) mm.		(10)
10 (9)	Ovary 4--7 mm; anthers 3--4 mm.		(11)
+	Ovary 1.5--3 mm; anthers 1--3(--3.5) mm.		(15)
11 (10)	Leaves mostly whorled; pedicel of ripe berry ascending		26 Polygonatum tessellatum
+	Leaves mostly opposite; pedicel of ripe berry reflexed.		(12)
12 (11)	Leaves strongly cirrose at apex		25 Polygonatum longistylum
+	Leaves straight at apex.		(13)
13 (12)	Filaments dilated and saccate apically		23 Polygonatum cathcartii
+	Filaments not dilated apically.		(14)
14 (13)	Style 2--3 × as long as ovary; leaves sessile, linear-lanceolate, papery		24 Polygonatum griffithii
+	Style slightly longer than ovary; leaves petiolate, petiole ca. 5 mm, leaf blade ovate-oblong to ovate-lanceolate, subleathery		22 Polygonatum oppositifolium
15 (10)	Leaves cirrose or curved at apex.		(16)
+	Leaves straight at apex.		(19)
16 (15)	Style long, 1.5--2 × as long as ovary		36 Polygonatum sibiricum
+	Style short, subequaling ovary.		(17)
17 (16)	Inflorescences 2--6(--11)-flowered; bracts (1--)2--6 mm, scarious or subherbaceous with scarious margin, 1-veined		39 Polygonatum zanlanscianense
+	Inflorescences (1 or)2-flowered; bracts 1--2 mm, scarious, veinless, or bracts absent.		(18)
18 (17)	Leaves flaccid, apex usually cirrose at anthesis		37 Polygonatum cirrhifolium
+	Leaves stiff, ± leathery, apex hooked at anthesis		38 Polygonatum stewartianum
19 (15)	Leaves ± reflexed at anthesis		32 Polygonatum curvistylum
+	Leaves horizontal or ascending.		(20)
20 (19)	Leaves elliptic to oblong-lanceolate, 2--6 cm; flowers 6--8 mm; plants small, 8--30 cm tall.		(21)
+	Leaves oblong-lanceolate to linear, 6--12 cm; flowers 8--12 mm; plants large, (20--)40--110 cm tall.		(22)
21 (20)	Leaves alternate or opposite, often in whorls of 3 in apical part of stem, apex subobtuse to acute; peduncle 2--6 mm; pedicels (2--)5--6 mm		31 Polygonatum prattii
+	Leaves in whorls of 3--6, rarely also scattered between whorls, apex acuminate; peduncle 10--20 mm; pedicels 1--2 mm		33 Polygonatum gracile
22 (20)	Peduncle 2--4 mm		34 Polygonatum stenophyllum
+	Peduncle 10--20 mm.		(23)
23 (22)	Rhizome usually tuberous terete, very rarely moniliform, 7--15 mm thick		30 Polygonatum verticillatum
+	Rhizome terete, 3--5 mm thick		35 Polygonatum roseum
24 (6)	Perianth 6--9(--11) mm.		(25)
+	Perianth (13--)14--30 mm.		(29)
25 (24)	Perianth tube short, 1--3 mm, markedly shorter than lobes.		(26)
+	Perianth tube long, 4.5--6 mm, markedly longer than lobes.		(27)
26 (25)	Leaves 2.3--3.6 cm wide, apex straight; peduncle obsolete; plants small, 17--45 cm tall		21 Polygonatum altelobatum
+	Leaves 0.8--1.7 cm wide, apex strongly cirrose; peduncle 1--1.5 cm; plants large, 80--170 cm tall		29 Polygonatum alternicirrhosum
27 (25)	Stem hirsutulous; peduncle 2.5--5 cm		20 Polygonatum longipedunculatum
+	Stem glabrous or papillose distally; peduncle 0.2--1.2 cm.		(28)
28 (27)	Rhizome ± moniliform, 10--15 mm thick; leaves ± acuminate at apex; perianth ± urceolate; peduncle 5--12 mm; plants usually epiphytic		19 Polygonatum punctatum
+	Rhizome terete, 3--5 mm thick; leaves subobtuse to acute at apex; perianth cylindric; peduncle 2--6 mm; plants terrestrial		31 Polygonatum prattii
29 (24)	Rhizome gingerlike, moniliform or nearly so, with annual knots swollen; annual elongation (distance between knots) short.		(30)
+	Rhizome terete; annual elongation long.		(34)
30 (29)	Filaments spurred apically; pedicel with a basal bract ca. 5 mm		12 Polygonatum franchetii
+	Filaments usually not spurred apically; pedicel with a small, basal bract 1--2 mm or ebracteate.		(31)
31 (30)	Leaves shortly pubescent abaxially; peduncle 3--8 cm, very slender		13 Polygonatum filipes
+	Leaves glabrous abaxially; peduncle 1--4(--6) cm, relatively thick.		(32)
32 (31)	Rhizome 5--7 mm thick; inflorescences 1- or 2-flowered; leaves 5--9		16 Polygonatum nodosum
+	Rhizome 8--25 mm thick; inflorescences (1 or)2--7(--14)-flowered; leaves 10--23.		(33)
33 (32)	Filaments thickened distally, slightly compressed or saccate-convex apically, 3--4 mm, papillose or pubescent		14 Polygonatum cyrtonema
+	Filaments thickened proximally, filiform apically, 5--10 mm, often wholly smooth, sometimes basally slightly verruculose		15 Polygonatum arisanense
34 (29)	Leaves long petiolate, petiole 5--15 mm; perianth tube often with short, cottony hairs inside.		(35)
+	Leaves sessile or shortly petiolate, petiole to 5 mm; perianth tube not pubescent inside.		(36)
35 (34)	Bracts 8--12 mm, 3--5-veined; leaves 5--9, 7--9 cm wide, abaxially glaucous; rhizome 6--10 mm thick		5 Polygonatum inflatum
+	Bracts absent to 8 mm, veinless or 1-veined; leaves 4 or 5, 1.8--3.5 cm wide, abaxially not glaucous; rhizome 3--4 mm thick		6 Polygonatum acuminatifolium
36 (34)	Leaves hispidulous abaxially		7 Polygonatum humile
+	Leaves glabrous abaxially.		(37)
37 (36)	Peduncle not adnate to stem proximally.		(38)
+	Peduncle adnate to stem proximally (2--15 mm).		(39)
38 (37)	Peduncle 3--5 cm; inflorescences (3--)5--12(--17)-flowered		11 Polygonatum macropodum
+	Peduncle usually 1--1.5 cm; inflorescences 1--4(--8)-flowered		8 Polygonatum odoratum
39 (37)	Perianth 14--16 mm; filaments glabrous		9 Polygonatum adnatum
+	Perianth 20--25 mm; filaments densely white villous		10 Polygonatum omeiense