Inflorescence terminal or axillary, pedunculate, heads solitary or in cymes. Heads campanulate to ± globose; involucral bracts herbaceous with scarious margins, in several series; receptacle convex, small scales sometimes present. Ray florets ligulate, female, in 1 to many series. Disc florets yellow, tubular, bisexual but the ovary usually abortive.
Achenes flattened, cuneate, sometimes winged, glabrous or hairy; pappus of rigid, usually barbed awns, often alternating with scales, rarely absent.
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Pappus of scales alternating with rigid awns | 2 |
| Pappus of awns only | 6 |
| 2 | Awns barbed towards apex, smooth at the base | 3 |
| Awns densely barbed over whole length
Back to 1 | 5 |
| 3 | Faces of the achenes with a few minute tubercles; pappus scales broader than long | 4 |
| Faces of the achenes densely tuberculate; pappus scales longer than broad
Back to 2 | Calotis glandulosa |
| 4 | Plants sparingly branched; leaves linear to oblanceolate; pappus scales lacerate towards apex | Calotis dentex |
| Plants much-branched; leaves cuneate with basal auricles; pappus scales infolded towards apex
Back to 3 | Calotis cuneifolia |
| 5 | Heads appearing sessile; pappus awns erect, scales entire or slightly lobed | Calotis squamigera |
| Heads on slender peduncles; pappus awns spreading, scales deeply dissected, often obscured by hairs
Back to 2 | Calotis hispidula |
| 6 | Achenes winged | 7 |
| Achenes without wings
Back to 1 | 10 |
| 7 | Body of achenes hairy | 8 |
| Body of achenes glabrous
Back to 6 | 9 |
| 8 | Awns stout and barbed | Calotis porphyroglossa |
| Awns fine and plumose
Back to 7 | Calotis plumulifera |
| 9 | Achene wings very broad, anchor-shaped with long hairs on the margins; leaves mainly cauline | Calotis ancyrocarpa |
| Achene wings narrow, glabrous; leaves in a basal rosette
Back to 7 | Calotis anthemoides |
| 10 | Awns fine, flexible and plumose | Calotis inermis |
| Awns stout and rigid
Back to 6 | 11 |
| 11 | Pappus awns 2–5, equal in length | 12 |
| Pappus awns more than 4, unequal in length
Back to 10 | 15 |
| 12 | Leaves in a basal cluster; plant stoloniferous; pappus awns free at the base | Calotis scapigera |
| Leaves cauline; plant sometimes stoloniferous; pappus awns expanded and united at the base
Back to 11 | 13 |
| 13 | Body of the achene strongly tuberculate; plants hairy with septate hairs | 14 |
| Body of the achene smooth; plants glabrous
Back to 12 | Calotis erinacea |
| 14 | Awns 2, diverging at right angles to the plane of the body, deeply ridged at the base | Calotis cymbacantha |
| Awns 3 or more, diverging at various angles to the plane of the body
Back to 13 | Calotis moorei |
| 15 | Major pappus awns 2, at right angles to the plane of the body; secondary awns 4–8 in 2 groups; body of the achene tuberculate and glabrous | Calotis lappulacea |
| Major pappus awns 4 or more
Back to 11 | 16 |
| 16 | Non-stoloniferous herbs; basal leaves soon withering | 17 |
| Stoloniferous herbs; basal leaves conspicuous, tufted or in a rosette
Back to 15 | 19 |
| 17 | Heads solitary; apex of the achenes flat | 18 |
| Heads in a cymose panicle; apex of the achenes projecting as a hairy cone within the circle of the awns
Back to 16 | Calotis latiuscula |
| 18 | Plants glabrous; body of achenes smooth | Calotis erinacea |
| Plants septate hairy; body of achenes tuberculate
Back to 17 | Calotis moorei |
| 19 | Awns in 1 ring | Calotis scabiosifolia |
| Awns in 2 rings, the inner fine and plumose
Back to 16 | Calotis cuneata |
