| 1. | Spikelets (excluding awns) 5-10 mm long; lemma with lobes to 2.5 mm long | 2 |
| Spikelets (excluding awns) 2.5-5 mm long; lemma entire at apex or with lobes to 1.5 mm long | 5 | |
| 2. | Inflorescence stiffly erect, twice or less than twice as long as broad | E. intermedius (NSW QLD) |
| Inflorescence nodding or inclined, three or more times longer than broad | 3 | |
| 3. | Spikelets 7-10 mm long | E. cheelii (NSW VIC) |
| Spikelets 5-7 mm long | 4 | |
| 4. | Inflorescence up to 3.5 cm long | E. nutans var. nutans (NSW QLD) |
| Inflorescence more than 4.5 cm long | E. nutans var. major (NSW) | |
| 5. | Awns up to 3 mm long or lemma mucronate | 6 |
| Awns 4-15 mm long | 7 | |
| 6. | Spikelets 2.5-3.5 mm long; lemma with awn to 3 mm long | E. mckiei (NSW) |
| Spikelet 3.5-4 mm long; lemma with a mucro to 1.5 mm long | E. phleoides (NSW) | |
| 7. | Culms 2-4 noded; tufted; leaf-blades erect | 8 |
| Culms 3-7 noded; rhizotamous; leaf-blades spreading or deflexed | E. ovatus (NSW VIC TAS SA WA QLD) E. ovatus var. pubiglumis |
|
| 8. | Glumes glabrous except for ciliate upper part of keel | E. caespitosus var. caespitosus (NSW VIC QLD) |
| Glumes shortly pubescent with a conspicuously ciliate keel | E. caespitosus var. cunninghamii (NSW) |
Key to Echinopogon derived from Hubbard 1935a
Taxonomic name: