This key is based on keys and data in the cited sources. It needs further testing, because several taxa are still controversial and their variability in and outside Cyprus is not fully understood.
| 1 | Spikelets oblong or wedge-shaped, not elliptic or lanceolate, nor tapering towards the tip; lower glume 1-nerved, the upper 3-nerved |
| 1' | Spikelets ovate, lanceolate, elliptic or oblong, tapering towards the tip; lower glume 3-7-nerved, upper 5-9-nerved |
| 2 | Panicle loose, branches widely spreading, up to 10 cm long, carrying 1 or 2 spikelets, or sometime more |
| 2' | Panicle contracted or rather loose, but with the spikelets clustered in groups |
| 3 | Spikelets 4-6 cm long (incl. awns), usually solitary at the tip of each branch |
| 3' | Spikelets 7-9 cm long (incl. awns), several on each branch |
| 4 | Callus of the lemmas blunt, rounded |
| 4' | Callus of the lemmas sharply pointed |
| 5 | Spikelets 7-9 cm long (incl. awns) |
| 5' | Spikelets less than 7 cm long (incl. awns), often much less |
| 6 | Callus of the lemmas blunt, rounded |
| 6' | Callus of the lemmas sharply pointed |
| 7 | Culms hairy below the inflorescence |
| 7' | Culms glabrous or very sparsely hairy |
| 8 | Inflorescence broadly obovate, not acutely cuneate at the base; ligule up to 5 mm long, lacerate, milky-white; spikelets compressed; lemmas 13-15 x 2-2.5 mm, with a definite scarious margin; anthers 0.6-1 mm long; awns and lemmas straight |
| 8' | Inflorescence obovate, sharply cuneate at the base; ligule 3 mm long, hyaline; lemmas 9-16 x 1.5-2 mm, rounded on the back, with involute margins, which are hardly scarious; anthers 0.3-0.4 mm long; awns and lemmas curved outwards |
| 9 | Spikelets 1.5-2.5 cm long; basal boundary line of lemma callus parabolic; abscission zone at rhachilla internode ovate; lower sheaths with dense villose hairs up to 0.7 mm long |
| 9' | Spikelets 2-3.5 cm long; basal boundary line of lemma callus semiorbicular; abscission zone at rhachilla internode orbicular; lower sheaths with dense to sparse short hairs |
| 10 | Spikelets 3.5-6 cm long (incl. awns), sometimes even longer, erect, often dense, obovate; lemmas 12-19 x 3 mm; anthers 0.5-1 mm long |
| 10' | Spikelets up to 3 cm long (incl. awns), if slightly longer (B. tectorum) then the spikelets strongly compressed, with a tendency to turn to one side in clusters of parallel spikelets |
| 11 | Lower sheaths with dense indumentum of short or long hairs; spikelets (excl. awns) 15-60 mm long |
| 11' | Lower sheaths with scattered patent hairs; spikelets (excl. awns) 15-25 mm long |
| 12 | Panicle dense or somewhat loose, not flabellate or cuneate at the base; spikelets in parallel or roughly parallel clusters, erect or turned to one side; lemmas with silvery margins; anthers more than 0.3-0.4 mm long |
| 12' | Panicle very dense, flabellate, cuneate at base; lemmas 1.5-2 mm wide with involute margins, slightly recurved from the rhachilla; anthers 0.3-0.4 mm long |
| 13 | Spikelets 1.5-2.5 cm long; basal boundary line of lemma callus parabolic; abscission zone at rhachilla internode ovate; lower sheaths with dense villose hairs up to 0.7 mm long |
| 13' | Spikelets 2-3.5 cm long; basal boundary line of lemma callus semiorbicular; abscission zone at rhachilla internode orbicular; lower sheaths with dense to sparse short hairs |
| 14 | Glumes and lemmas rounded on the dorsal surface |
| 14' | Glumes and lemmas strongly keeled |
| 15 | Awn of lemma inserted at the base of the notch |
| 15' | Awn of lemma inserted below the base of the notch |
| 16 | Anthers (2.5-)3-5 mm long |
| 16' | Anthers 0.3-1.5(-2) mm long |
| 17 | Panicle dense to rather loose, pedicels equalling or shorter than their spikelets; lemmas with prominent nerves |
| 17' | Panicle lax, most pedicels longer than their spikelets; lemmas with obscure nerves |
| 18 | Lemmas with obtuse, sometimes indistinct apical teeth; awns 6-10 mm long, emerging up to 2 mm below apex of lemma |
| 18' | Lemmas with acute, distinct apical teeth; awns 12-14 mm long (6-8 on the lowest lemma), emerging 3-4 mm below apex of lemma |
| 19 | Spikelets 3-5 cm long (incl. awns; often shorter in starved specimens of B. squarrosus) |
| 19' | Spikelets less than 3 cm long (incl. awns) |
| 20 | Panicle oblanceolate or oblong in outline; spikelets terete, short-pedicellate, ascending; awns recurved at maturity |
| 20' | Panicle with spreading branches; spikelets laterally compressed |
| 21 | Lemmas shortly bidentate |
| 21' | Lemmas biaristulate |
| 22 | Lemmas 8-10 x 6 mm, with a broad hyaline margin, conspicuously widened above the middle, with the margins forming an obtuse angle; awns of the lower lemmas frequently reduced |
| 22' | Lemmas 11-14 x 5-6 mm, with a broad hyaline margin, not as above; lower lemmas with perfect awns, and 2 acuminate apical teeth; awns recurved at maturity |
| 23 | Lemmas rhomboidal when flattened; margins conspicuously hyaline |
| 23' | Lemmas elliptic or oblanceolate when flattened; margins not conspicuously hyaline |
| 24 | Spikelets hairy, hairs patent, long (c. 0.75 mm) and short, curved |
| 24' | Spikelets glabrous, or, if hairy, then the hairs usually equal, adpressed and short (usually not longer than 0.5 mm) |
| 25 | Inflorescence a rather loose, nodding panicle; spikelets long-pedicellate, narrowly lanceolate; awns of the uppermost lemmas much longer than those of the lower |
| 25' | Inflorescence and spikelets not as above; the inflorescence erect, dense or rather loose |
| 26 | Inflorescence very dense, obovate or oblong; lemmas 9-11 mm long; anthers 0.5 mm long |
| 26' | Inflorescence loose or somewhat dense; lemmas 8-9 mm long; anthers 1-2 mm long |
