The key is based on the cited sources and needs further testing. Taxonomy of some groups is far from clarification. The following taxa are currently under investigation: A. cyprium/lefkarense, A. dentiferum/fuscum auct., A. curtum/rubrovittatum.
| 1 | Leaves all basal or arising from ground level, the sheaths not extending up the aerial parts of the stem (or scape) |
| 1' | Leaf sheaths, or leaves, extending up the aerial part of the stem (or scape) |
| 2 | Leaves pilose, at least along the margins and sheaths |
| 2' | Leaves glabrous |
| 3 | Leaves 2-8 mm wide; perianth widely cup-shaped, with spreading segments |
| 3' | Leaves 1-4(-7) mm wide; perianth cup-shaped with connivent segments |
| 4 | Perianth cup-shaped in fruit, with connivent segments; ovary 2.5-3.5 mm diam.; ovules 2 in each loculus |
| 4' | Perianth spreading or reflexed in fruit; ovary 3.5-4 mm diam.; ovules 4-8 in each loculus |
| 5 | Stems triquetrous (3-angled); flowers white; inflorescence with bulbils |
| 5' | Stems terete, often 2-angled; inflorescence with or without bulbils |
| 6 | Flowers pink, rarely white; stems terete; inflorescence (in Cyprus always) with bulbils; bulb tunic crustaceous, pitted; flowering in spring |
| 6' | Flowers white; stems terete, often 2-angled; inflorescence without bulbils; bulb tunic reticulate; flowering in late summer and autumn |
| 7 | Stem 60-90 cm high; leaves up to 9 cm wide, broadly acuminate |
| 7' | Stem 10-40 cm high; leaves up to 2.5 cm wide, tapering to a very slender acumen |
| 8 | Plants flowering in late autumn, just in advance of the winter rains, fistulose leaves appearing from late spring |
| 8' | Plants flowering in spring or summer |
| 9 | Bulb-tunic of interwoven fulvous or fuscous fibres; flowers few with very unequal pedicels |
| 9' | Bulb-tunics membranous, papery, coriaceous or crustaceous, sometimes lacerate, but not of interwoven fibres |
| 10 | Leaves flat (sometimes keeled) with clearly defined margins |
| 10' | Leaves fistulose (hollow internally) without clearly defined margins |
| 11 | All the stamens similar, with simple, linear or subulate filaments |
| 11' | Stamens of 2 kinds, the outer 3 with simple, linear or subulate filaments |
| 12 | Stamens included or at most a little exserted; stems usually 20-70 cm high (paniculatum group) |
| 12' | Stamens distinctly exserted; stem 5-30(-55) cm high (stamineum group) |
| 13 | Spathe-appendages 8-14 cm long; pedicels very unequal, at least some up to 3-4 cm long; ovary tapering to apex and base |
| 13' | Spathe-appendages up to 6 cm long; pedicels not markedly unequal, the longest up to 2 cm long; ovary not tapering noticeably to apex and base, trigonous-subglobose |
| 14 | Plant 40-55 cm high; inflorescence with 50 or more flowers; perianth-segments whitish with a green or purplish midrib; stamens exserted; anthers yellow, rounded at apex; spathe-appendages exceeding the inflorescence |
| 14' | Plant 20-40 cm high; inflorescence with 15-40 flowers; perianth-segments white-yellowish tinged brown-purplish; stamens included; anthers straw-coloured, apiculate; spathe-appendages equalling or exceeding the inflorescence |
| 15 | Perianth 4-4.5 mm long; style 3.5 mm long |
| 15' | Perianth 3-3.5 mm long; style 1 mm long |
| 16 | Perianth-segments dark violet (in some populations less dark, more greenish); capsule 5 mm wide |
| 16' | Perianth-segments greenish with purple striae at apex and purplish-green midrib; capsule 3.5 mm wide |
| 17 | Perianth 2-3 x 2-2.5 mm, segments loosely sub-connivent, but not overlapping, whitish with green keel |
| 17' | Perianth 4-6 x 3-4 mm, segments connivent, overlapping, purple or lilac, rarely white |
| 18 | Bulb 3-6 x 2-6 cm, with yellowish-brown bulblets; leaves 5-40 mm wide |
| 18' | Bulb 1-2 x 1-1.5 cm, with blackish-crimson or vinous bulblets; leaves 3-10 mm wide |
| 19 | Perianth 4-7 x 1.5-4 mm, commonly reddish or purple |
| 19' | Perianth 2-4 x 1.5-4 mm |
| 20 | Leaves c. 8 mm wide; pedicels up to 40 mm long, the outer seldom more than 15 mm long |
| 20' | Leaves 0.5-4 mm wide; pedicels subequal, less than 30 mm long |
| 21 | Stamens clearly exserted; pedicels 5-20(-30) mm long; leaf-sheaths usually concealing stipitate bulblets |
| 21' | Stamens included; pedicels generally less than 4 mm long; bulblets generally few or absent |
| 22 | Leaf-sheaths extending beyond half the length of the stem; perianth segments 2-3 x 1-1.2 mm |
| 22' | Leaf-sheaths not extending beyond one-third the length of the stem; perianth segments 3.5-4 x 2-2.5 mm |
| 23 | Perianth-segments whitish or greenish with a green median stripe |
| 23' | Perianth-segments whitish or greenish with a median purple (or sometimes dark green) blotch |
