The species dominates understory vegetation in sandhills and flatwoods coastal plain ecosystems of the Carolinas in the Southeastern United States.

[1][2] Its appearance is characterized by villous bristles (indument) on each side of its midrib and on the back of the involute leaf blade.

[5] In 1993, the southern population of the species was split off and described as Aristida beyrichiana because of geographic and morphological differences.

[1] However, a decade later, further anatomical studies suggested that the two species did not have sufficient morphological differences to be considered separate.

The plant depends on regular summer burning in order to stimulate flowering and seed production.