Key E: Monocotyledon (Grasses and Rush-like Plants) Families and Genera

1	Plant consisting of a tussock of hard, smooth, flat, basal leaves and stem-less, dense flower clusters	*Mat-rushes (Lomandra*) Mat-rush Family (Xanthorrhoeceae**)
1	Plant with flower-heads on distinct culms (stems) or stalks	2
2	Tall reed-like plant to 4 m high with many, small, densely congested flowers in a velvety brown, cylindrical flower-head on leafy and pithy culms; leaves long, more or less erect, flat, often spongy, in two rows overlapping at the base	*Cumbungi (Typha*) Bull-rush Family (Typhaceae**)
2	Flower-heads and leaves not entirely as above	3
3	Flower-head on a soft and fleshy scape (a leafless flower stalk growing from the base of the plant); fruits green, smooth and globular	*Arrow-grasses and Water-ribbons (Triglochin*) Water-ribbon Family (Juncaginaceae**)^a
3	Flower-head on a non-fleshy culm (an aerial stem terminating in a flower-head); fruits becoming brownish, reddish or blackish with maturity and contained within scarious (dry and membranous ) bracts (modified leaves at the base of flower-heads or clusters), glumes (tiny bracts enclosing or subtending (attached below) individual flowers or spikelets (group of flowers) or perianth segments (modified flower parts)	4
4	Leaves appear to be absent (actually reduced to a tubular sheath with a minute apical point); culm with a single, bractless, terminal, erect, tapering cylindrical spikelet consisting of a few to many flowers	*Spike-rushes (Eleocharis*) Sedge Family (Cyperaceae**)
4	Plants not entirely as above	5
5	Leaves appear to be absent (actually reduced to a tubular sheath with a minute apical point); culm with a single, bractless, terminal, erect, tapering cylindrical spikelet consisting of a few to many flowers	*Spike-rushes (Eleocharis*) Sedge Family (Cyperaceae**)
5	Culms distinctly angular or at least partially so or with distinct edges	6
5	Culms more or less terete (cylindrical in cross-section)	10
6	Culms and leaves narrowly biconvex (lens-shaped in cross-section)	*Sword-sedges (Lepidosperma*) Sedge Family (Cyperaceae**)
6	Culms (and often leaf bases) angular (often triangular): Sedge Family (Cyperaceae)	7
7	Pistil (female part of the flower) enclosed in an utricle (a bottle-shaped, bladder-like sac), giving a swollen appearance to each flower; flower-heads usually consist of one or more spikes (i.e. individual flowers are stalkless)	*Sedges (Carex*) Sedge Family (Cyperaceae**)
7	Pistil not enclosed in an utricle; flower-heads usually consist of spikelet clusters	8
8	Culms with several nodes along its length (swellings from which new leaves and stems arise)	*Club-rushes (Bolboschoenus*) Sedge Family (Cyperaceae**)
8	Culms without nodes	9
9	Spikelets flattened or terete with flowers arranged in two opposite rows; flower-heads subtended by a number of bracts, of which 2-3 (up to 10) generally exceed it in length	Flat-sedges (*Cyperus) Sedge* Family (Cyperaceae)
9	Spikelets cylindrical with flowers arranged spirally; flower-heads subtended by one main culm-like bract	*Club-rushes (Schoenoplectus*) Sedge Family (Cyperaceae**)
10	Each flower consisting of six, firm, pointed, perianth segments; leaves present and very similar to flowering culms or reduced to cataphylls (very short basal points); culms pithy or partially so	*Rushes (Juncus*) Rush Family (Juncaeae**)
10	Each flower subtended by one or two glumes; leaves present and stem clasping or reduced to sheaths or basal scales; culms solid or hollow but not pithy	11
11	Culms solid; the margins (edges) of leaf sheaths fused (unless reduced to basal scales); each flower subtended by a single glume and flower clusters or spikelets subtended by one or more leafy bracts: Sedge Family (Cyperaceae)	12
11	Culms hollow; margins of leaf sheaths usually free (unfused)²; individual flowers enclosed by a pair of glumes (lemma and palea)³ and flower clusters or spikelets enclosed by a further pair (or one in a few genera) of glumes (outer glumes): Grass Family (Poaceae)	16
12	Leaves flat, channelled or inrolled	13
12	Leaves angular or terete (sometimes flattened towards the tip)	14
13	Tall plant, greater than 100 cm tall, often in large tussocks; fruit without subtending bristles	*Saw-sedges (Gahnia*) Sedge Family (Cyperaceae**)
13	Plant usually less than 40 cm tall but some near-coastal species may be up to 90 cm; fruit subtended by up to 6 bristles	*Bog-rushes (Schoenus*) Sedge Family (Cyperaceae**)
14	Plant to 100 cm tall; flower-head a dense globular or hemispherical cluster, subtended and exceeded by a single, pungent (sharply pointed) bract; leaves reduced to sheaths only	*Knobby Club-rushes (Ficinia*) Sedge Family (Cyperaceae**)
14	Plant not entirely as above	15
15	Small plant, often less than 20 cm tall (sometimes to 50 cm in Isolepis inundata); culms non-rigid (not stiff); flower-head consisting of a single or multiple, elliptical and sometimes strongly flattened spikelet/s, generally subtended by a single leaf- or glume-like bract; leaves reduced to more or less terete blades less than 4 cm long or to leaf sheaths only	*Club-rushes (Isolepis*) Sedge Family (Cyperaceae**)
15	Plant usually from 20-100 cm tall; culms rigid; flower-head consisting of clusters of spikelets, subtended by culm-like bracts; leaves reduced to flattened points or culm-like, angled or flattened, reaching or exceeding culms	*Twig-rushes (Baumea*) Sedge Family (Cyperaceae**)
16	Large and tall reed-like grass with broad, flat leaves and softly hairy, open and slightly drooping flower-heads; flowers surrounded by long silky hairs	*Common Reed (Phragmites*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
16	Plant not as above	17
17	Tough plant of sand dunes with long creeping rhizomes and silvery-grey leaves; male and female flowers on separate plants – males in clusters of racemes (non-branched flower-head or inflorescence with shortly stalked flowers) and females in clusters of individuals, each at the base of a long stout bristle and collectively forming a globular head of spikes that act like a tumble-weed when mature and broken free	*Spinifex (Spinifex*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
17	Plants not as above	18
18	Flowers in a loosely clustered to open panicle (severally branched inflorescence with distinctly stalked spikelets)	19
18	Flowers in a raceme (shortly stalked flowers), spike (non-stalked flowers) or spike-like (congested and indistinct raceme or panicle) inflorescence or in a dense or reduced panicle of racemes, spikes or lobes	36
19	Spikelet (group of flowers subtended by a pair of glumes) with a single flower (floret)	20
19	Spikelet with two or more florets	22
20	Floret firm with a straight, curved or bent, stout bristle (awn) at the apex (several times its body length) and with a sharply pointed base (callus)	*Spear-grasses (Austrostipa*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
20	Floret soft (until seed matured) without an awn or if awned, then the awn fine to fragile and the callus not sharp	21
21	Palea³ absent or less than three-quarters of the lemma³ length; callus without hairs (glabrous); lemmas glabrous and rarely awned	*Bent-grasses (Agrostis*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
21	Palea more than three-quarters of the lemma length; callus hairy; lemmas hairy or glabrous and usually awned but not always conspicuously so	*Blown-grasses (Lachnagrostis*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)^d
22	Florets unawned	23
22	Florets awned	29
23	Leaves infolded and sharply pointed, in two regular opposite rows	*Salt-grasses (Distichlis*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
23	Leaves not sharp or if pointed, not in two regular opposite rows	24
24	Spikelets minute (1-1.5 mm long), with only two florets	*Small Hair-grasses (Molineriella*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
24	Spikelets at least 3 mm long, with 3 to many florets	25
25	Spikelets shaped like a pendant or broad shell with overlapping scales (actually each a floret) hanging from slender drooping stalks	*Quaking-grasses (Briza*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
25	Spikelets not as above	26
26	Ligule (appendage at the top of the leaf-sheath at its junction with the blade) consists of a row of fine hairs	*Love-grasses (Eragrostis*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
26	Ligule membranous (may be very short)	27
27	Lemma with a dorsal keel (ridge like a boat’s keel); leaves with a keeled tip	*Tussock-grasses (Poa*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
27	Lemma rounded on the back; leaves not keeled at tip	28
28	Leaf-sheath open to the base (grasses of salt-water)	*Saltmarsh-grasses (Puccinellia*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)^e
28	Leaf-sheath closed toward the base (grasses of fresh-water)	*Sweet-grasses (Glyceria*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
29	Spikelets with two or occasionally three florets	30
29	Spikelets usually with at least five florets	33
30	Spikelets large (20-30 mm long) and drooping; awns long (25-40 mm) becoming black with maturity (note: cultivated oats are awnless)	*Oats (Avena*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
30	Spikelets small (less than 5 mm long)	31
31	Grasses to at least 40 cm tall; inflorescence a dense panicle, becoming lobed or loosely open with maturity, pinkish- to purplish-green when immature becoming yellowish-white when mature; spikelets on relatively short stalks	*Fogs (Holcus*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
31	mall grasses to 20 cm tall; inflorescence an open panicle; spikelets on relatively long stalks	32
32	Leaves covered in soft hairs; lemmas 3-awned, the middle awn longer than the laterals and bent	*False Hair-grasses (Pentaschistis*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
32	Leaves hairless; at least one lemma in a spikelet with a single awn	*Hair-grasses (Aira*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
33	Ligule consists of a row of fine hairs; inflorescence a dense panicle when immature, becoming loosely open with maturity; lemma backs hairy or with rows of hairs	*Wallaby-grasses (Rytidosperma*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
33	Ligule membranous; inflorescence a more or less open panicle with relatively long spikelet stalks; lemma backs hairless or very shortly and softly hairy	34
34	Lemma 4-toothed or bristled at the apex and with a relatively long, bent or wavy awn; florets are readily shed when nearing maturity	*Swamp Wallaby-grasses (Amphibromus*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
34	Lemma not distinctly toothed at the apex; awns very short to long but straight or evenly curved; florets are not shed until very mature	35
35	Lower leaf-sheaths with soft hairs	*Bromes (Bromus*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
35	Lower leaf-sheaths hairless or with a few scattered hairs when young	*Fescues (Festuca*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
36	Inflorescence consisting of two or more spikes, spike-like racemes, racemes or very congested raceme-like panicle branches	37
36	Inflorescence consisting of a single spike, raceme or congested (or lobed) panicle	43
37	Inflorescence of digitate (radiating like fingers from the tip of the flowering culm) spikes or spike-like racemes	38
37	Inflorescence with non-digitate branches	41
38	Spikelets in pairs, one slightly stalked	*Finger-grasses (Digitaria*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
38	Spikelets non-paired, arranged in two rows along one side of the inflorescence branch	39
39	Spikelet 2-3 mm long with a single floret	*Couch (Cynodon*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
39	Spikelet greater than 3 mm with 2-several florets	40
40	Spikelets flattened from the sides (laterally)	*Umbrella-grasses (Chloris*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
40	Spikelets flattened from the back (dorsally)	*Spider-grasses (Enteropogon*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
41	Spikelets crowded, in pairs or small clusters; lemma abruptly tapering into a apical point	*Barnyard-grasses (Echinochloa*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
41	Spikelets single, densely or loosely arranged; lemma without an abruptly pointed apex	42
42	Branches of inflorescence terminating in a slender bristle	*Summer-grasses (Paspalidium*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
42	Branches of inflorescence terminating in a spikelet	*Paspalums (Paspalum*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
43	Inflorescences are spikes or spike-like racemes	44
43	Inflorescences are congested panicles (i.e. they are branched, even if those branches are very short)	49
44	Spikelets are fully sunk into recesses in the inflorescence stalk (rachis), the glumes only opening at flowering	45
44	Spikelets are at least partly free of the rachis	46
45	Spikelet with two outer glumes	*Barb-grasses (Parapholis*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)^f
45	Spikelet with one outer glume	*Barb-grasses (Hainardia*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)^f
46	Inflorescence cylindrical; spikelets in threes with long awns on both the outer glumes and lemmas	*Barley-grasses (Hordeum*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
46	Inflorescence narrow or flattened; spikelets arising singly; if awns present, then relatively short	47
47	Spikelets are orientated with their thin edge adjacent the rachis	*Rye-grasses (Lolium*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
47	Spikelets are orientated with their broad edge adjacent to the rachis	48
48	Plants long rhizomatous	*Couch (Elytrigia*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
48	Plants tufted or shortly rhizomatous	*Wheat-grasses (Lophopyrum*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
49	Spikelets with a single floret	50
49	Spikelets with more than one floret	55
50	Outer glumes without hairs (on their outer surface), bristles or awns	51
50	Outer glumes with hairs, bristles and/or awns	53
51	Inflorescence a congested or lobed panicle (often with several whorls of branches)	*Water-bent (Polypogon viridis*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)^h
51	Inflorescence a dense cylindrical panicle (sometimes with an occasional branch discernible)	52
52	Inflorescence less than 10 mm wide, becoming dark slate grey at maturity before turning straw coloured with age; spikelets completely stalkless; outer glumes distinctly unequal in length	*Couch and Rat-tail Grasses (Sporobolus*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
52	Inflorescence 10-30 mm wide, becoming yellowish-green before turning straw coloured with age; spikelets with at least short stalks; outer glumes subequal (the same or almost so) in length (grasses of beach dunes)	*Marram Grasses (Ammophila*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
53	Inflorescence a dense globular to ovoid panicle becoming soft grey with age; outer glumes narrow and pointed, covered with long hairs; lemma 3-awned	*Hares-tail (Lagurus ovatus*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
53	Inflorescence, spikelet and lemma not as above	54
54	Outer glumes with long awns and with ciliate hairs or inflated bristles along their keels	*Beard-grasses (Polypogon*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
54	Outer glumes awnless and with soft hairs along their keels	*Fox-tails (Alopecurus*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
55	Ligule consists of a row of fine hairs or a ciliate (stiff hairs like eye lashes) rim	56
55	Ligule membranous or papery	57
56	Lemmas with a long bent awn arising between two fine bristle-tipped lobes; lemma backs hairy or with tufts of hairs in rows	*Wallaby-grasses (Rytidosperma*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
56	Lemmas awnless or with a very short awn or point; lemma with pointed or club-shaped hairs along the lower margins	*Desmazeria (Tribolium*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
57	Spikelets arranged on one-side of the inflorescence-stalk (rachis); outer glumes very unequal in length; lemma with a relatively long awn	*Silver-grasses (Vulpia*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
57	Spikelets not entirely as above	58
58	Lemmas unawned; spikelets strongly laterally flattened; leaves hairless (glabrous)	*Canary-grasses (Phalaris*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
58	Lemmas awned; spikelets laterally flattened but not strongly so; leaves often hairy	59
59	Inflorescence a dense panicle, usually becoming lobed or loosely open with maturity, pinkish- to purplish-green when immature becoming yellowish-white when very mature	*Fogs (Holcus*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
59	Inflorescence a dense to contracted panicle, not or hardly opening with maturity, green to dark-green when mature becoming yellow-green when very mature	60
60	Spikelets more than 5 mm long; the longer awn bent; crushed leaves are coumarin-scented	*Vernal-grasses (Anthoxanthum*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
60	Spikelets less than 5 mm long; awns straight or slightly curved; crushed leaves are not strongly scented	61
61	Outer glumes subequal (the same length or almost so)	*Cats-tails (Rostraria*) Grass Family (Poaceae**)
61	Outer glumes very unequal (the lower minute and bristle-like)	*Avellinia (Avellinia* michelii) Grass Family (Poaceae**)

^aWater Ribbons (Triglochin procerum) and similar species (e.g. T. alcockiae and T. multifructum) has a flower-head to 50 cm long and 2-4 cm diameter, consisting of up to 200 small and congested flowers, each with six lilac-white styles arranged in a star; leaves flat, more than 5 mm wide, long and strap or ribbon-like while Streaked Arrow-grass (Triglochin striata) and similar species (T. centrocarpum and T. calcitrapum) has a flower-head less than 15 cm long and less than 1 cm wide, usually consisting of 50-100 (or less) loosely arranged inconspicuous flowers (and subsequent fruits); leaves terete, narrow (less than 1-3 mm dia.)
^bAn exception to unfused or open leaf sheath margins is Australian Sweet-grass (Glyceria australis).
^cOf the two inner glumes (lemma and palea) of a grass floret, the lemma is the larger and firmer of the two and often supports one or more bristles or awns.
^dSee Key to Blown-grass species for further detail.
^eSee Key to Puccinellia for further detail.
^fSee Key to Barb-grasses for further detail.
^gSee Notes on spikelet differences in Barley-grass species for further detail.
^hAs for other Polypogon spp., lemmas and paleas of Polypogon viridis are subequal and mature florets are shed with the outer glumes attached but glumes and lemmas are unawned and glabrous as for Agrostis. As a consequence, this species has been included within both genera at different stages of its taxonomic history.

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