This widespread northern and western perennial was reported from Ky. by Gray (1864), Linney (1882), Britton & Brown (1897) and Gm, but no coll. has been located. The closest verified records are at higher elevation in eastern Va. and southern W.Va. (K, W). There are also disjunct records from west-central Ohio and east-central Mo. (K). V. americana can be confused with cracca, villosa/dasycarpa and caroliniana but differs as follows (F, Isely 1990): flowers mostly 15-22 mm long (versus 9-15 mm); inflorescences with 3-9 flowers (versus 8-25), shorter than subtending leaves (versus equalling or overtopping); leaflets mostly 8-18 (versus 12-24), with lateral veins elevated below (versus not prominent).