1	"Plants glaucous perennials forming spiny cushions or small bushes; leaves distichous, pungent; stems clothed in imbricate sheaths"	"Eragrostis mahrana"
1	"Plants annual or perennial, not forming spiny cushions pr small bushes"	2
2	"Plants densely tufted perennial with creeping woody rhizomes and stolons"	"Eragrostis incrassata"
2	"Plants annual or perennial, no forming wody rhizomes of stolons"	3
3	"Florets persistent and the grain retained on the mature panicle"	"Eragrostis tef"
3	"Florets deciduous at maturity"	4
4	"Spikelets disarticulating below the glumes, falling as a unit"	5
4	"Spikelets disarticulating above the glumes, sometimes below each floret"	6
5	"Plants tussock-forming perennials 50-120 cm tall; spikelets ovate to suborbicular"	"Eragrostis superba"
5	"Plants annuals up to 30 cm tall; spikelets oblong with serrate outline"	"Eragrostis sennii"
6	"Spikelets shedding their florets from the tip downwards, the rhachilla segments falling with the florets"	7
6	"Spikelets shedding their florets from the base upwards, the rachilla initially remaining on the pedicel"	14
7	"Paleas ciliate on the keels, the long hairs clearly visible beyond the margins of the lemma"	8
7	"Paleas glabrous or scabrous on the keels"	11
8	"Plants perennial"	"Eragrostis caespitosa"
8	"Plants annual"	9
9	"Panicles loose and open"	"Eragrostis lepida"
9	"Panicles spikelike, lobed, or capitate, the spikelets densely crowded"	10
10	"Panicles spikelike or lobed and interrupted, not overtopped by the uppermost leaves; lemmas broadly obtuse, mucronate"	"Eragrostis ciliaris"
10	"Panicles capitate, subtended and overtopped by the 2(-3) uppermost leaves; lemmas 3-toothed or at least all 3 veins excurrent"	"Eragrostis tridentata"
11	"Ligules membranous"	"Eragrostis japonica"
11	"Ligules a line of hairs"	12
12	"Lemmas 2.3-2.6 mm long"	"Eragrostis kuchariana"
12	"Lemmas 1.2-2 mm long"	13
13	"Panicles delicate, effuse, the spikelets on slender pedicles; anthera about 0.2 mm long"	"Eragrostis aspera"
13	"Panicles stiff, moderarely dense,, the spikelets shortly pedicelate and often loosely grouped about the primary branches; anthers 0.5-0.7 mm long"	"Eragrostis ambleia"
14	"Paleas falling at the same time as the lemmas, leaving the naked, zig-zag rachilla"	"Eragrostis aethiopica"
14	"Paleas persisting on the rachilla long after the lemmas have fallen or the rachilla disarticulating above the glumes with most of the florets still attached or the upper part falling off once the lower lemmas start to fall"	15
15	"Plants tufted perennials"	16
15	"Plants coarse or delicate annuals or, if a short-lived perennial, lower glumes 0.3-1(-1.4) mm long"	17
16	"Leaves flat, stiff, and pungent, scabrous on both surfaces; lemmas obtuse; anthers 3, about 0.2 mm long"	"Eragrostis lutensis"
16	"Leaves flat or inrolled, soft, not pungent, smooth on borth surfaces; lemmas sharply acue to apiculatel anthers 2, 0.6-0.7 mm long"	"Eragrostis perbella"
17	"Plants short-lived perennials with stiff glaucous leaves often forming a basal cushion"	"Eragrostis papposa"
17	"Plants coarse or delicate annuals, leaves mostly soft and green, not formaing a basal cushion"	18
18	"Plants sticky from glandular hairs, especially on the sheaths; lemmas oblong, truncate"	"Eragrostis gloeophylla"
18	"Plants without glandular hairs, not sticky, but crateriform glands often present on the leaf margins"	19
19	"Lemmas gibbous on the margin; spikelets with serrate outline"	"Eragostis vatovii"
19	"Lemma margin not gibbous; spikelets with a smooth outline"	20
20	"Lemmas with truncate tips; grains glossy"	"Eragrostis psammophila"
20	"Lemmas with subacute to obtuse tips; grains reticulate"	21
21	"Grains subrotund, 04.4-0.6 mm in diameter"	"Eragrostis cilianensis"
21	"Grains broadly oblong to elliptic-oblong, 0.5-1 mm long"	22
22	"Leaves with crateriform glands along the margins"	"Eragrostis minor"
22	"Leaves without crateriform glands along the margins"	23
23	"Lemmas 1.7-2.3 mm long, thin, chartaceous, the lateral veines not thickened, scabridulous only towards the top"	"Eragrostis barrelieri"
23	"Lemmas 2.3-2.6 mm long, thinly coriaceous, with thickened scabrous lateral veins, flanks scabridulous throughout"	"Eragrostis trachyantha"