silversword
noun
sil·ver·sword ˈsil-vər-ˌsȯrd 
: a long-lived composite plant (Argyroxiphium sandwicense) of Maui and Hawaii that has a rosette of lanceolate leaves covered with silvery hairs and that dies after producing a very tall raceme of numerous usually purplish or reddish flowers
Example Sentences
Recent Examples on the Web Keep your eyes out for the endangered and rare ‘ahinahina, or Haleakala silversword plant. 
Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2021 These silverswords, which can grow taller than the average human, have been rapidly disappearing over the past 30 years. Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, 9 Dec. 2019 The Park Service said people would sometimes stray off paved areas and trample on seedlings and root systems of the Haleakala silversword, a rare, bush-like plant with thick leaves. Washington Post, 15 June 2017
Wendy Altschuler, Forbes, 17 Sep. 2021 These silverswords, which can grow taller than the average human, have been rapidly disappearing over the past 30 years. Elizabeth Pennisi, Science | AAAS, 9 Dec. 2019 The Park Service said people would sometimes stray off paved areas and trample on seedlings and root systems of the Haleakala silversword, a rare, bush-like plant with thick leaves. Washington Post, 15 June 2017 Word History
First Known Use
1856, in the meaning defined above