Key to the common species of Gracilaria
| 1 | Plants with narrow percurrent axes, most branches nearly as long as axes, usually axes less than 1 to 2 mm in diam | G. lemaneiformis (Bory) Greville |
| 1 | Plants with broad, branched axes, 1-4 mm wide, not percurrent | 2 |
| 2 | Plants decumbent, in clumps with up to 30 cm spread, crisp and cartilaginous, yellowish if exposed to dark brown if shaded | G. salicornia (C. Agardh) Dawson |
| 2 | Plants erect, separated, isolated plants up to 30 cm tall, rosy tan in color | 3 |
| 3 | Branching mainly open, with few orders, the last order usually unilateral (like a giant comb) | G. parvispora Abbott |
| 3 | Branching mostly closed with clusters of short dichotomies, last order dichotomous | G. coronopifolia J. Agardh |
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