| 1. | Pedicels free from rachis | M. rottboellioides (NT WA QLD) Coelorachis rottboellioides |
| Pedicels fused to rachis | 2 | |
| 2. | Spikes compressed; lower glume of sessile spikelet with ornate sculpturing | 3 |
| Spikes cylindrical; lower glume of sessile spikelet smooth | 4 | |
| 3. | Sessile spikelet 4.5-5.5 mm long, obovate | M. annua (WA) Heteropholis annua |
| Sessile spikelet c. 1 mm long, globose | M. granularis (NT WA QLD) Hackelochloa granularis |
|
| 4. | Apex of rachis joint with a fringe of hairs; sessile spikelet c. 3 mm long; pedicelled spikelet reduced to twisted membranous glumes | M. formosa (NT WA QLD) Rottboellia formosa |
| Apex of rachis not fringed with hairs; sessile spikelet c. 4 mm long; pedicelled spikelet very rudimentary, glumes not membranous | M. pilosa (QLD) |
Key to Mnesithea derived from Veldkamp, de Koning and Sosef 1986; Simon
1989b
Taxonomic name: