Cynodon

1. Spikes flexuous, 5-8, 6-12 cm long C. radiatus (NT)
C. arcuatus
Spikes not flexuous, 3-6, 1-6 cm long 2
   
2. Plants with rhizomes and stolons 3
Plants only with stolons 5
   
3. Leaf-blades up to 1.5 mm wide *C. transvaalensis (NSW)
Leaf-blades more than 1.5 mm wide 4
   
4. Spikes more than 3 cm long with spikelets to 2.5 mm long C. dactylon var. dactylon (NSW VIC TAS NT SA WA QLD)
Spikes less than 3 cm long with spikelets 2.5-3 mm long C. dactylon var. pulchellus (VIC SA)
   
5. Racemes 2-3 cm long; plants up to 15 cm tall 6
Racemes 4-8 cm long; plants up to 60 cm tall 7
   
6. Leaf-blades densely hairy on both surfaces; glumes ±equal *C. hirsutus (NSW)
Leaf-blades loosely hairy; glumes unequal *C. incompletus (NSW QLD)
   
7. Racemes in 2-5 whorls *C. aethiopicus (QLD)
Racemes in 1 whorl (occasionally 2) 8
   
8. Culms 1-1.5 mm in diameter; leaf blades 2-5 mm wide *C. nlemfuensis var. nlemfuensis (NT QLD)
Culms 2-3 mm in diameter; leaf blades 5-6 mm wide *C. nlemfuensis var. robustus (QLD)

Add C. plectostachyus (QLD),

Key to Cynodon derived from de Wet and Harlan 1970; Lazarides 1972; Nowak 1992; Nightingale et al 2005

Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith