| | Key to the subspecies | |
| 1 | Petioles terete | 2 |
| Petioles laterally compressed | subsp. x petiolaris |
| 2 | Leaflets absolutely terete | 3 |
| Leaflets flat, 2 mm or broader, sometimes inrolled and then appearing terete
Back to 1 | 4 |
| 3 | Leaves with 3–8 pairs of leaflets, 15–25 mm long, petiole <15 mm long | subsp. x artemisioides |
| Leaves with 1–4 pairs of leaflets, 20–40 mm long, petiole >15 mm long
Back to 2 | subsp. filifolia |
| 4 | Leaflets conspicuously hairy | 5 |
| Leaflets glabrous or glabrescent
Back to 2 | 9 |
| 5 | Leaflets obovate to ovate | 6 |
| Leaflets linear to elliptic
Back to 4 | 7 |
| 6 | Leaflets woolly | subsp. helmsii |
| Leaflets silky
Back to 5 | subsp. alicia |
| 7 | Leaflets linear and inrolled so that the upper surface is not visible | subsp. x artemisioides |
| Leaflets with upper surface exposed
Back to 5 | 8 |
| 8 | Leaflets densely silky hairy to woolly hairy, never glaucous | subsp. x sturtii |
| Leaflets glabrous to sparsely hairy, glaucous
Back to 7 | subsp. x coriacea |
| 9 | Leaflets obovate to ovate | subsp. alicia |
| Leaflets linear to elliptic to obovate
Back to 4 | 10 |
| 10 | Leaflets >5 times as long as broad | subsp. zygophylla |
| Leaflets 1–4 times as long as broad
Back to 9 | 11 |
| 11 | Leaflets 1–3 pairs, members of each leaflet pair carried more or less vertically with outer surfaces exposed | subsp. alicia |
| Leaflets 1–6 pairs, members of each leaflet pair carried almost horizontally
Back to 10 | subsp. x coriacea |
