This perennial is widespread across southeastern and Atlantic Coastal states. It usually occurs in thin woods and thickets on moderately dry, medium acid soils. Although suitable habitat appears to be widespread, the species is generally uncommon in much of its range, and perhaps concentrated in areas with more open burned or browed woods before settlement. In Ky. it is generally rare to absent in more farmed landscapes, presumably due to excessive disturbance in the past (including browsing by livestock). It is generally absent from the Bluegrass region, but there is an 1834 records from banks of Kentucky Rv. in FAYE (R. Peter #799 au MICH); also there are scattered records from rocky slopes near the lower section of the river in the Eden Shale Hills of ANDE, FRAN, HENR and OWEN (partly provided by T.Littlefield, pers. comm.). P. polystachios is related to other perennials in sw. U.S.A and Central America (Delgado-Salinas et al. 2006).