A vegetative key, descriptions, and illustrations for the identification of 199 native and naturalized grasses that occur in Mali are presented. In addition, we provide a modern classification, glossary of terms, and indexes to scientific and common names. The key is based on vegetative characters to allow identification of specimens that do not have flowering structures (inflorescences and spikelets). Two new combinations are made, Urochloa orthostachys and Urochloa stigmatisata, and we lectotypify Panicum orthostachys.