| Author | (J.A. & J.H. Schultes) Ascherson & Graebner | |
| Distribution | Mostly the Outer Banks and other barrier islands. Rare inland in Harnett and Jackson counties. Widely planted and expected to escape locally.
Native to southern South America; in N.A. mostly in the Southwest and CA; scattered records in the southern Atlantic states. | |
| Abundance | Uncommon on the Outer Banks and barrier islands; rare elsewhere but could show up almost anywhere. | |
| Habitat | Dry to mesic sandy soil of roadsides, trailsides, interdune swales, stable dunes; abandoned portions of golf course (Harnett Co.), hedgerow on campus (Jackson Co.). | |
| Phenology | Flowering and fruiting August-October. | |
| Identification | This species is readily identified by its dense, creamy white plume held erect above a large tussock of abundant, slender leaves, often gracefully arching away from the stem. The tussock is 2-4 feet tall and wide, and the plume can be 1 foot tall, strongly contrasting with the green color of the foliage. | |
| Taxonomic Comments | | |
| Other Common Name(s) | | |
| State Rank | SE | |
| Global Rank | GNR | |
| State Status | | |
| US Status | | |
| USACE-agcp | FACU link |
| USACE-emp | FAC link |
