Key to Agave species of the Agave sect. Choritepalae:

1. Leaves without teeth or terminal spines, filaments> 50 mm ........................................................................................................... 5

1. Leaves with teeth and terminal spines; filaments <50 mm long ...................................................................................................... 2

2. Leaves 100–125 × 36–42 cm; Michoacán .................................................. A. infiernilloensis Etter, Kristen, Rosales & A.Vázquez

2. Leaves 30–60 × 14–26 cm ................................................................................................................................................................ 3

3. Robust purple inflorescence, rachis with dense purple bracts; Querétaro and San Luis Potosí .......................................................... .......................................................................................................................................... A. muxii Zamudio & G. Aguilar-Gutiérrez

3. Slime yellow inflorescence, rachis with green bracts ...................................................................................................................... 4

4. Rosettes with 20–40 leaves, which are broadly ovate to semi orbiculate, glaucous to glaucous-yellowish, 1.8–2.5 times longer than wide; spine 2.5–5 cm; Tlaxiaco, Oaxaca ........................................................................ A. gypsicola García-Mend. & D. Sandoval

4. Rosettes with 9–16 leaves, which are broadly lanceolate, occasionally ovate, glaucous, with transversal stripes, 2.5–5.0 times longer than wide; spine 0.6–0.8(–1.5) cm; Tehuantepec, Oaxaca ..................................................................... A. guiengola Gentry

5. Rosettes with epigeous offsets; leaves narrow (3–4 cm), widest at the base; flowers white to pale yellowish; mainly Sierra Madre Oriental, Coahuila and Nuevo León .......................................................................................... A. bracteosa S. Watson ex Engelm.

5. Rosettes with hypogeous offsets; leaves broad (15–20 cm), widest in the middle; flowers greenish yellow; Sierra Mazateca, Oaxaca and Sierra Zongolica, Veracruz ..................................................................................................... A. ellemeetiana K. Koch