Leaves mostly alternate or sometimes opposite or in whorls of 3 or 4, simple, entire, sessile to shortly petiolate.
Inflorescences racemose, terminated by a dormant bud or growing on into a leafy shoot. Flowers actinomorphic [or zygomorphic], solitary in the axils of scale leaves or leaves. Tepals free but usually coherent towards the base, usually yellow and rarely with reddish markings [or green or white]. Anthers free or basally fused to the tepals [or rarely 1 fully fused and infertile]. Hypogynous glands 4 [or rarely 2], free. Ovary shortly stipitate; style not modified as a pollen presenter, stigma terminal [or lateral]; ovules 1 or 2.
| | Key to the species | |
| 1 | Leaves mostly <2 mm wide; inflorescences growing on into a leafy shoot (except in P. pinifolia). | 2 |
| Leaves mostly >2 mm wide; inflorescences terminated by a dormant bud or growing on into a leafy shoot. | 3 |
| 2 | Ovary and fruit glabrous. | 4 |
| Ovary densely hairy, fruit moderately hairy to glabrescent.
Back to 1 | 22 |
| 3 | Ovary and fruit glabrous. | 24 |
| Ovary sparsely to densely hairy; fruit moderately hairy to glabrescent.
Back to 1 | 57 |
| 4 | Leaves pungent-pointed, very rigid. | 5 |
| Leaves usually acute but never pungent-pointed.
Back to 2 | 6 |
| 5 | Tepals hairy, 6–11 mm long; leaves not succulent when living. | Persoonia juniperina |
| Tepals glabrous, 12–15 mm long; leaves succulent when living.
Back to 4 | Persoonia hindii |
| 6 | Leaves strongly scabrous; tepals marked with maroon. | 7 |
| Leaves smooth to finely scabrous; tepals without maroon markings.
Back to 4 | 8 |
| 7 | Leaves narrow- to linear-spathulate, 1–2 cm long, 1.5–5 mm wide. | Persoonia cuspidifera |
| Leaves linear to oblong or linear-spathulate, 1.5–4.5 cm long, 0.5–1.25 mm wide.
Back to 6 | Persoonia curvifolia |
| 8 | Broadest leaves <1 mm wide, subterete or terete. | 9 |
| Broadest leaves >1 mm wide, mostly not terete or subterete.
Back to 6 | 14 |
| 9 | Leaves 3–7 cm long; inflorescences terminated by a dormant bud with flower-subtending leaves mostly shorter than sterile leaves, progressively becoming shorter towards apex. | Persoonia pinifolia |
| Leaves usually 1–3.5 cm long; inflorescences growing on into a leafy shoot with flower-subtending leaves mostly the same length as sterile leaves, or, if mostly shorter, then progressively becoming longer towards apex.
Back to 8 | 10 |
| 10 | Leaves terete or subterete and grooved on lower surface when living, subterete and grooved on lower surface when dried. | 11 |
| Leaves subterete and shallowly concave on upper surface when living, subterete and grooved when dried.
Back to 9 | 13 |
| 11 | Leaves ≥0.8 mm wide, apex truncate to acute; ovules 2. | Persoonia mollis |
| Leaves <0.8 mm wide, apex acuminate; ovule 1.
Back to 10 | 12 |
| 12 | Inflorescences 1–9-flowered; rachis 0–0.9 cm long; leaves incurved. | Persoonia pauciflora |
| Inflorescences usually 10–70-flowered; rachis 0.5–9 cm long, rarely less; leaves recurved towards their tips.
Back to 11 | Persoonia isophylla |
| 13 | Tepals with free apical points, forming a prominent 'crown' at the tip of the flower bud; leaves c. 0.5 mm wide. | Persoonia acerosa |
| Tepals with coherent apical points, not promionently distinct from the rest of the tepals; leaves 0.3–0.5 mm wide.
Back to 10 | Persoonia tenuifolia |
| 14 | Leaves <1 cm long, narrow-oblong; pedicels 1–2 mm long. | Persoonia terminalis |
| Leaves mostly >1 cm long, linear-oblong or lanceolate to linear-lanceolate; pedicels mostly >2 mm long.
Back to 8 | 15 |
| 15 | Pedicels glabrous (rarely sparsely hairy in P. chamaepeuce). | 16 |
| Pedicels hairy.
Back to 14 | 20 |
| 16 | Leaves slightly convex. | 17 |
| Leaves slightly concave.
Back to 15 | 19 |
| 17 | Leaves mostly lanceolate to linear-lanceolate. | Persoonia bargoensis |
| Leaves linear-oblong.
Back to 16 | 18 |
| 18 | Erect to spreading shrub; leaves 1.5–3 cm long, strongly discolorous when dried. | Persoonia nutans |
| Prostrate or decumbent shrub; leaves 0.8–1.5 cm long, slightly discolorous when dried.
Back to 17 | Persoonia laxa |
| 19 | Prostrate shrub; leaves 0.8–2.5 cm long. | Persoonia chamaepeuce |
| Erect shrub; leaves 2–5 cm long.
Back to 16 | Persoonia virgata |
| 20 | Tepals glabrous, strongly keeled along the outer midrib so that the buds appear square in cross section; leaves succulent when living, deeply concave when dried, smooth when mature | Persoonia hindii |
| Tepals sparsely to moderately hairy, the buds not usually appearing square in cross section; leaves not succulent when living, flat to convex.
Back to 15 | 21 |
| 21 | Bark lamellose-flaky; leaves flat when fresh, sometimes slightly convex when dried, 2–8.5 cm long. | Persoonia linearis |
| Bark smooth-compact; leaves convex to revolute or subterete when fresh, strongly revolute or grooved on lower surface when dried, 1.5–4 cm long.
Back to 20 | Persoonia mollis |
| 22 | Prostrate shrub; leaves terete when fresh, subterete and grooved on lower surface when dried, smooth to minutely scabrous. | Persoonia chamaepitys |
| Erect to spreading shrubs; leaves concave or convex, sometimes strongly revolute but not terete, smooth to scabrous.
Back to 2 | 23 |
| 23 | Leaves 0.5–1.4 cm long, recurved. | Persoonia hirsuta |
| Leaves mostly 1.5–4 cm long, usually incurved.
Back to 22 | Persoonia fastigiata |
| 24 | Longest leaves <2.5 cm long. | 25 |
| Longest leaves >2.5 cm long.
Back to 3 | 36 |
| 25 | Leaves broadest above the middle. | 26 |
| Leaves mostly broadest at or below the middle.
Back to 24 | 29 |
| 26 | Mature leaves strongly scabrous. | 27 |
| Mature leaves smooth to slightly scabrous.
Back to 25 | 28 |
| 27 | Broadest leaves <5.5 mm wide, concolorous; pedicels 2–5 mm long. | Persoonia cuspidifera |
| Broadest leaves >5.5 mm wide, slightly discolorous; pedicels 1–3 mm long.
Back to 26 | Persoonia rigida |
| 28 | Tepals 8–11.5 mm long; anthers yellow. | Persoonia mollis |
| Tepals 11–15 mm long; anthers white.
Back to 26 | Persoonia subvelutina |
| 29 | Tepals prominently caudate with dorsal, recurved tails. | Persoonia myrtilloides |
| Tepals apiculate to shortly caudate with terminal tails.
Back to 25 | 30 |
| 30 | Pedicels erect, moderately to densely hairy. | Persoonia mollis |
| Pedicels mostly spreading to recurved, glabrous to moderately hairy.
Back to 29 | 31 |
| 31 | Tepal tips shortly caudate. | Persoonia brevifolia |
| Tepal tips acute to apiculate.
Back to 30 | 32 |
| 32 | Mature leaves scabrous with antrorse to spreading hairs; leaves convex with recurved to revolute margins, broad-elliptic to ovate to broad-ovate. | Persoonia microphylla |
| Mature leaves smooth and glabrescent to finely scabrous with appressed hairs; leaves flat with flat to recurved margins, ovate.
Back to 31 | 33 |
| 33 | Pedicels sparsely to moderately hairy; tepals glabrous to moderately hairy; leaves sparsely to moderately hairy when immature, remaining so when mature. | Persoonia asperula |
| Pedicels and tepals glabrous (or rarely the pedicels very sparsely hairy); leaves sparsely (or rarely moderately) hairy when immature, glabrescent to sparsely hairy when mature.
Back to 32 | 34 |
| 34 | Longest leaves ≤11 mm. | Persoonia oxycoccoides |
| Longest leaves >11 mm long.
Back to 33 | 35 |
| 35 | Leaves usually acuminate, usually strongly discolorous, with recurved margins, 2.5–8.5 mm wide. | Persoonia acuminata |
| Leaves acute, concolorous to slightly discolorous, with flat to slightly recurved margins, 1.2–3.5 mm wide.
Back to 34 | Persoonia recedens |
| 36 | Bark rough, dark, lamellose-flaky. | 37 |
| Bark smooth-compact, usually light to mid grey, sometimes dark and fissured at base or on trunk.
Back to 24 | 38 |
| 37 | Leaves 1–7 mm wide, straight. | Persoonia linearis |
| Leaves 13–80 mm wide, ± asymmetric to falcate.
Back to 36 | Persoonia levis |
| 38 | Pedicels recurved or rarely spreading if <3 mm long. | 39 |
| Pedicels erect.
Back to 36 | 40 |
| 39 | Tepals prominently caudate; pedicels sparsely to moderately hairy, 2–10 mm long; leaf margins recurved. | Persoonia myrtilloides |
| Tepals apiculate to shortly caudate; pedicels glabrous, 9–23 mm long; leaf margins flat.
Back to 38 | Persoonia oblongata |
| 40 | Anthers white; leaves strongly discolorous. | 41 |
| Anthers yellow; leaves concolorous to discolorous.
Back to 38 | 44 |
| 41 | Inflorescences growing on into a leafy shoot; mature leaves sparsely to moderately hairy. | Persoonia subvelutina |
| At least some inflorescences terminated by a dormant bud; mature leaves glabrescent to sparsely hairy.
Back to 40 | 42 |
| 42 | At least some inflorescences terminated by a dormant bud and bearing some flowers in the axils of leaves; leaves alternate; tepals glabrous to moderately hairy. | Persoonia silvatica |
| All inflorescences terminated by a dormant bud and bearing flowers only in the axils of scale leaves; leaves usually opposite; tepals densely hairy.
Back to 41 | 43 |
| 43 | Leaves moderately scabrous. | Persoonia laurina |
| Leaves smooth.
Back to 42 | Persoonia confertiflora |
| 44 | Plants prostrate. | 45 |
| Plants erect to decumbent.
Back to 40 | 47 |
| 45 | Leaves strongly discolorous, with revolute margins. | Persoonia mollis |
| Leaves concolorous, with slightly recurved margins.
Back to 44 | 46 |
| 46 | Tepals moderately hairy. | Persoonia daphnoides |
| Tepals sparsely hairy.
Back to 45 | Persoonia procumbens |
| 47 | Margins of leaves flat; leaves concolorous, broadest above the middle. | 48 |
| Margins of leaves ± recurved; leaves concolorous to discolorous, often broadest at or below the middle.
Back to 44 | 49 |
| 48 | Leaves strongly pruinose, especially when young. | Persoonia glaucescens |
| Leaves not pruinose.
Back to 47 | Persoonia lanceolata |
| 49 | Mature leaves scabrous, 1.5–5 cm long, concolorous to slightly discolorous, broadest above middle; hairs mostly spreading. | Persoonia rigida |
| Mature leaves smooth, or if scabrous then mostly >5 cm long or strongly discolorous or broadest at or below the middle or hairs appressed to antrorse.
Back to 47 | 50 |
| 50 | Tepals and young branchlets glabrous to sparsely covered in mostly appressed hairs. | Persoonia media |
| Tepals and young branchlets moderately to densely hairy.
Back to 49 | 51 |
| 51 | Leaves strongly discolorous, with recurved to revolute margins; tepals acute to acuminate or apiculate; ovules 2. | Persoonia mollis |
| Leaves concolorous to slightly discolorous, with recurved margins, if strongly discolorous then tepals caudate; ovules 1 or 2.
Back to 50 | 52 |
| 52 | Leaves and flowers turning black on drying, often falcate; tepals and young branchlets moderately covered in short, appressed to antrorse, grey hairs; ovules 2. | Persoonia katerae |
| Leaves usually remaining green or turning brown on drying, usually straight; tepals and young branchlets moderately to densely covered in grey to rusty hairs; ovule usually 1.
Back to 51 | 53 |
| 53 | Inflorescences mostly terminated by a dormant bud; tepals obtuse to apiculate, densely hairy. | Persoonia cornifolia |
| Inflorescences mostly growing on into a leafy shoot or if mostly terminated by a dormant bud then tepals moderately hairy; tepals apiculate to caudate.
Back to 52 | 54 |
| 54 | Multistemmed shrubs, usually <1 m high. | Persoonia oleoides |
| Single-stemmed shrubs to small trees 1.5–9 m high.
Back to 53 | 55 |
| 55 | Leaves 5–10 (rarely to 15) mm wide, 5–15 times longer than broad; bark smooth to base. | Persoonia volcanica |
| Leaves 10–45 mm wide, 1.5–7 times longer than broad; bark reticulately fissured at base, smooth on branches.
Back to 54 | 56 |
| 56 | Tepals apiculate to shortly caudate; leaves mostly 2–3.5 times as long as broad. | Persoonia stradbrokensis |
| Tepals prominently caudate; leaves mostly 3–7 times as long as broad.
Back to 55 | Persoonia adenantha |
| 57 | Leaves 5–14 mm long, recurved. | Persoonia hirsuta |
| Leaves >15 mm long, either incurved or not consistently curved.
Back to 3 | 58 |
| 58 | Leaves mostly opposite and decussate, strongly discolorous; tepals densely rusty-hairy. | Persoonia laurina |
| Leaves alternate, concolorous to slightly discolorous; tepals glabrous to densely hairy.
Back to 57 | 59 |
| 59 | Pedicels 9–23 mm long, recurved, glabrous. | Persoonia oblongata |
| Pedicels 1–12 mm long, erect to recurved, glabrous to densely hairy; combination never as above.
Back to 58 | 60 |
| 60 | Prostrate to decumbent shrub; tepals 8–10 mm long, caudate with dorsal tails; mature leaves glabrescent. | Persoonia marginata |
| Spreading to erect shrubs to trees or rarely decumbent to prostrate shrubs; tepals mostly 10–13 mm long (rarely 9 mm in P. sericea and then mature leaves sparsely to densely hairy, habit erect), obtuse to caudate with terminal tails; mature leaves densely hairy to glabrescent.
Back to 59 | 61 |
| 61 | Mature leaves sparsely to densely hairy, broadest above the middle, 1.5–6 cm long; pedicels usually spreading to recurved. | Persoonia sericea |
| Mature leaves glabrescent or rarely sparsely to moderately hairy but then broadest at or below middle, 2–14 cm long; pedicels erect.
Back to 60 | 62 |
| 62 | Young branchlets and tepals glabrous to sparsely hairy; hairs mostly appressed; pedicels 3–10 mm long. | Persoonia media |
| Young branchlets and tepals densely or sometimes moderately hairy; hairs mostly spreading; pedicels 1–4 mm long.
Back to 61 | 63 |
| 63 | Young branchlets, young leaves, pedicels and tepals rusty-hairy; mature leaves scabrous, glabrescent to moderately hairy; ovary densely hairy. | Persoonia rufa |
| Young branchlets, young leaves, pedicels and tepals greyish- to tawny-hairy or if rusty-hairy then ovary sparsely hairy; mature leaves smooth to slightly scabrous, glabrescent to sparsely hairy.
Back to 62 | 64 |
| 64 | Inflorescences mostly determinate; tepals obtuse to apiculate, densely hairy. | Persoonia cornifolia |
| Inflorescences usually mostly growing on into a leafy shoot or if mostly determinate then tepals moderately hairy, apiculate to caudate.
Back to 63 | 65 |
| 65 | Multistemmed shrubs, 0.3–1 m high; ovary glabrous or rarely sparsely hairy. | Persoonia oleoides |
| Single-stemmed shrubs to small trees 1.5–9 m high; ovary sparsely to densely hairy.
Back to 64 | 66 |
| 66 | Tepals sparsely to moderately covered in short, appressed to antrorse hairs. | Persoonia conjuncta |
| Tepals moderately to densely covered in moderate length antrorse to spreading hairs.
Back to 65 | 67 |
| 67 | Tepals prominently caudate; ovary sparsely hairy or more usually glabrous; leaves mostly 3–7 times as long as broad. | Persoonia adenantha |
| Tepals apiculate to shortly caudate; ovary usually moderately to densely hairy; leaves mostly 2–3.5 times as long as broad.
Back to 66 | Persoonia stradbrokensis |
