1	Trees, shrubs, or climbers; florets (1 or)2-12 per involucre, rarely more and then plant a climber with axillary synflorescences		(2)
+	Erect annual or perennial herbs; florets 19 or more per involucre; synflorescences terminal		(16)
2 (1)	Trees or self-supporting shrubs		(3)
+	Scandent shrubs		(9)
3 (2)	Leaves obovate to oblanceolate, clearly widest above middle, basal secondary veins substraight toward leaf margins; petiole short and broad or expanded into a sheath at base; synflorescence conically thyrsoid (3. Monosis group)		(4)
+	Leaves ovate to elliptic or oblong, widest at or below middle, basal secondary veins curved and often becoming subparallel to basal leaf margins; petiole slender; synflorescence flat-topped to rounded		(5)
4 (3)	Trees 3-8 m tall; leaf blade to 50 × 20 cm, abaxially glabrous or sparsely pubescent, lateral veins 12-17-paired; achenes 3-4 mm.		8 V. volkameriifolia
+	Shrubs 2-3 m tall; leaf blade 15-30 × 4-9 cm, abaxially densely pubescent to fulvous tomentose, lateral veins 7-12-paired; body of mature achenes ca. 2.5 mm.		9 V. parishii
5 (3)	Corolla 8-10 mm, uniformly slender from base before widening into limb; achenes strongly 10-ribbed; style base without node; sweeping hairs of style branches pointed (4. Gymnanthemum group).		10 V. extensa
+	Corollas 5-7 mm, widening gradually from near base; achenes 5-ribbed to weakly 10-ribbed; style base with large distinct node; sweeping hairs of style branches blunt (1. Strobocalyx group p.p.)		(6)
6 (5)	Trees; branches fulvous or brown tomentose; inner phyllaries persistent		(7)
+	Shrubs, rarely small trees; branches gray or gray-brown tomentose; innermost phyllaries ± deciduous		(8)
7 (6)	Florets 5 or 6 per capitulum; involucres 6-8 mm in diam.; phyllaries ovate-oblong, shortly pubescent or subglabrous; achenes subtriangular in section, 8-10-ribbed, glabrous, glandular; leaf blade thinly leathery, glabrous or sparsely puberulent along veins, margin entire.		1 V. arborea
+	Florets ca. 10 per capitulum; involucres 4-5 mm in diam.; phyllaries ovate, abaxially densely tomentose; achenes 4- or 5-angled, glabrous; leaf blade papery, abaxially hispidulous, adaxially tomentose, margin repand or laxly dentate.		2 V. solanifolia
8 (6)	Capitula 6-8 mm in diam., florets 8-12; involucres subglobose or hemispheric with rounded base, 4-6 mm in diam.; phyllaries obtuse or rounded at apex, white sericeous; achenes 3.5-4 mm, 3-ribbed ventrally, glabrous; leaves membranous or thinly papery.		3 V. bockiana
+	Capitula 2-3 mm in diam., florets 5 or 6; involucres obconical with cuneate base, 2-3 mm in diam.; phyllaries few, acute or slightly acute at apex, sparsely shortly pubescent; achenes ca. 3 mm, slightly ribbed, sparsely puberulent, glandular; leaves hardly papery.		4 V. esculenta
9 (2)	Synflorescences terminal and subterminal, forming broad panicle; pappus white or dirty white; branches densely reddish- or yellowish brown pubescent (1. Strobocalyx group p.p.)		(10)
+	Synflorescences mostly axillary, forming long thyrse; pappus reddish, yellow, or brown; branches grayish brown pubescent		(11)
10 (9)	Branches densely reddish brown pubescent, eglandular; lateral veins 7- or 8-paired; capitula 7-12 mm in diam., with ca. 10 florets, peduncle up to 15 mm; achenes 10-ribbed, eglandular.		5 V. sylvatica
+	Branches densely yellowish brown pubescent, glandular; lateral veins 3-6-paired; capitula 3-5 mm in diam., with 2 or 3 florets, peduncle less than 2 mm; achenes 5-ribbed, glandular.		6 V. chunii
11 (9)	Hairs of stems and leaves T-shaped with long arms, shortly stalked and pressed against stems or leaf surface, silky; corollas without long slender bases; style with distinct basal node; achenes 5-angled (2. Tarlmounia group).		7 V. elliptica
+	Hairs of stems and leaves simple, not T-shaped; corollas with long and filiform bases; bases of styles without nodes; achenes strongly 10-ribbed (5. Decaneuropsis group)		(12)
12 (11)	Capitula in terminal or subterminal panicles; receptacle ferruginous pubescent; pappus reddish or reddish brown; leaves papery; branches reddish brown or grayish brown tomentose.		11 V. cumingiana
+	Capitula mostly axillary or on short lateral branches, solitary or in groups of 3-5, forming leafy thyrse; receptacle glabrous; pappus yellowish brown; leaves leathery or thinly leathery; branches sparsely, shortly pubescent or glabrescent		(13)
13 (12)	Leaf blade oblong or oblong-lanceolate, lateral veins 7-9-paired, adaxially densely gray-green tomentose; capitula with ca. 10 florets; achenes 3-3.5 mm		(14)
+	Leaf blade ovate-oblong or oblong-elliptic, lateral veins 5-7-paired, adaxially sparsely pubescent; capitula with 18 or more florets; achenes 4-4.5 mm		(15)
14 (13)	Phyllaries linear or linear-lanceolate, acute at apex, with dense short pubescence on margins and tips.		12 V. gratiosa
+	Phyllaries oblong, with short acute tips, glabrous.		V. andersonii (see note under V. cumingiana)
15 (13)	Capitula 7-8 mm in diam., 3-5 in small axillary panicles; florets 20-25, reddish purple; achenes 3-3.5 mm, 10-ribbed, with short patent hairs and glands; leaves thinly leathery, elliptic or ovate-elliptic, entire.		13 V. blanda
+	Capitula ca. 20 mm in diam., solitary in leaf axils, racemose; florets many, white; achenes 7-9 mm, 7- or 8-ribbed, glabrous; leaves leathery, obovate-oblong or elliptic-oblong, margin often revolute, sparsely denticulate at upper margins.		14 V. chingiana
16 (1)	Achenes 4- or 5-angled to almost terete; phyllary apex acute or aristate-acuminate; plants often annual herbs (7. Cyanthillium group)		(17)
+	Achenes (7-)10-ribbed or striate		(20)
17 (16)	Achenes unribbed or rarely inconspicuously ribbed, ± compressed, densely white pilose; pappus 2-seriate, outer setae many, short, and persistent; capitula small, ca. 6 mm in diam., many in relatively broad panicles; florets 19-28		(18)
+	Achenes 4- or 5-angled, glabrous and glandular; pappus 1-seriate, deciduous; capitula larger, 6-10 mm in diam., few or 2 or 3 terminal on branches; florets more than 30		(19)
18 (17)	Corolla ca. as long as pappus; leaf blade rhombic to ovate.		26 V. cinerea
+	Corolla much longer than pappus at anthesis; leaf blade linear-lanceolate to lanceolate.		27 V. benguetensis
19 (17)	Capitula several, laxly corymbose, 5-7 mm in diam.; stem leaves crowded, spatulate, apex rounded or obtuse, margin subentire, abaxially densely white hispidulous; small subshrubs, ca. 10 cm tall.		28 V. maritima
+	Capitula usually 2 or 3 terminal on branches or paired, 8-10 mm in diam.; stem leaves widely separated, ovate, ovate-elliptic, rarely orbicular, apex obtuse, slightly acute, margin crenate-shallowly dentate, abaxially sparsely shortly hairy or glabrous, adaxially gray sericeous-pubescent; robust annual herbs, to 1 m tall.		29 V. patula
20 (16)	Capitula subtended by foliose bracts as long as phyllaries; phyllary apex ± leaflike; corolla with slender base more than 2 × as long as abruptly wider narrowly campanulate limb; pappus bristles flattened on outer surface (9. Baccharoides group).		31 V. anthelmintica
+	Capitula without foliose or membranous appendaged bracts at base of involucre; phyllary apex not leaflike; corolla with slender base up to as long as narrowly funnel-shaped limb; pappus segments rounded and/or scabrid on outer surface		(21)
21 (20)	Lower part of leaf blade with mostly spreading secondary veins; slender base of corolla tube ca. as long as limb; base of style without node (8. Khasianthus group).		30 V. subsessilis
+	Lower part of leaf blade with secondary veins ascending at 45° angles or more; slender base of corolla tube shorter than limb; base of style with distinct node (6. Acilepis group)		(22)
22 (21)	Capitula ca. 30 mm in diam.; phyllaries abaxially pale yellowish white tomentose.		25 V. albosquama
+	Capitula 5-25 mm in diam.; phyllaries glabrous to densely pubescent, green, often with darker apex		(23)
23 (22)	Outer pappus bristles many, short		(24)
+	Outer pappus bristles few to none		(27)
24 (23)	Capitula usually more than 5 in terminal, often somewhat elongated, panicle or thyrse, 5-8 mm in diam.; achenes glabrous; pappus white or dirty white.		15 V. saligna
+	Capitula few, usually 2 or 3(-5) in ± flat-topped cyme, rarely solitary in leaf axils, 8-15 mm in diam.; achenes hairy and glandular; pappus sordid white or rubescent, outer bristles deciduous or persistent		(25)
25 (24)	Stems hispidulous; capitula 10-15 mm in diam., peduncle very short to almost absent; florets ca. 30; phyllary apex apiculate; leaves oblanceolate or obovate-elliptic, sharply serrate, hispidulous on both surfaces.		16 V. aspera
+	Stems shortly pubescent or adpressed hairy; capitula 6-8(-10) mm in diam., peduncle 7-15 mm; florets 15-20; phyllary apex acute or acuminate; leaves oblong, oblong-lanceolate, obovate, or obovate-elliptic, denticulate or sparsely serrate toward apex, subglabrous or shortly pubescent along veins only		(26)
26 (25)	Involucres hemispheric; phyllaries with apex acute, upper part arachnoid pubescent and glandular; achenes hispidulous; leaves papery, laxly on stems, oblong or oblong-lanceolate, sparsely serrate on upper margins.		17 V. clivorum
+	Involucres obconical; phyllaries with apex acuminate, subscarious, margin pubescent; achenes patently villous; leaves leathery, often conferted below flowering branches, obovate or obovate-elliptic, upper leaves linear or linear-lanceolate, denticulate.		18 V. attenuata
27 (23)	Capitula 4-6 mm in diam.; florets 8-12; shrubs or shrubby herbs 1-3 m tall; phyllary apex obtuse or bluntly acute, adpressed to form smooth involucre.		19 V. divergens
+	Capitula 12-25 mm in diam.; florets many; herbs 15-80(-200) cm tall; phyllary apex acute to acuminate, often conspicuous or colored spinescent, often recurved		(28)
28 (27)	Capitula sessile or nearly so, solitary, often axillary and forming spikelike synflorescence; outermost phyllaries almost subulate.		24 V. squarrosa
+	Capitula mostly clearly pedunculate, often in flat-topped cymes, never axillary; outer phyllaries lanceolate to ovate		(29)
29 (28)	Achenes glabrous; [inner phyllaries ca. 2.5 mm wide; stem hairs pigmented, clearly multicellular]		(30)
+	Achenes adpressed hairy; inner phyllaries 1.5-2.2 mm wide; stem hairs pale, slender, obscurely multicellular		(31)
30 (29)	Panicles relatively broad, ± flat-topped; phyllaries often recurved at tip.		21 V. silhetensis
+	Panicles relatively narrow, ± cylindric; phyllaries straight to slightly incurved.		22 V. doichangensis
31 (29)	Involucre 12-15 mm wide; leaf blade thinly papery; achenes eglandular.		20 V. nantcianensis
+	Involucre 15-20 mm wide; leaf blade more stiffly papery; achenes glandular.		23 V. spirei