As part of a taxonomic review of Cynosurus (Poaceae), we studied the types of the following taxa in the C. elegans–C. effusus complex: C. elegans from N Africa, C. aurasiacus from Algeria, C. gracilis and C. fertilis from Corsica, C. brizoides from Madeira, C. effusus from Portugal, C. obliquatus from Greece, C. paui and C. elegans var. chalybaeus from Spain, Chrysurus paradoxus from Italy, and two varieties of Cynosurus elegans described from Sicily as well as one of C. effusus from the Dodecanese Islands. We discuss their taxonomic validity and morphological variability in the Iberian Peninsula. We propose nine new lectotypes and two neotypes.