Habit: Aristida vilfifolia grows as a glabrous, clumping perennial to 80 cm in height when flowering with unbranched stems. The leaves are arranged alternately, to 8 cm in length, up to 1 mm wide, twisted/curved with a basal sheath extending along the stem. At the point of divergence of the glabrous leaf sheath to the leaf blade is a short ligule. The leaves are parallel veined and the lower portions of the leaf blade toward the stem are adaxially finely pubescent.
The zygomorphic flowers are arranged in an erect narrow panicle made of 2-20 appressed, sessile spikelets. At the base of each spikelet are 2, short awned, structures called glume that are close to equal in size. In each spikelet there are flowering structures each is subtended by 2 additional structures (lemma and palea). The tip of the lemma has 3 spreading twisted awns with the two lateral awns shorter than the central awn. Awns to 2 cm in length. There are 3-5 florets with 3 stamens and a superior ovary each with a single locule and seed. The fruit is a caryopsis.
Habitat: Aristida vilfifolia grows on open ground on exposed limestone in Dry Broadleaf Evergreen Formation – Woodland/Shrublands (savannas, open scrublands).
Distribution: Aristida vilfifolia is native to the Lucayan Archipelago know to occur in the central and northern island groupings as well as Cuba and Hispaniola.
Medicinal/Cultural/Economic usage: Aristida vilfifolia is not known to be used medicinally in the Lucayan Archipelago.