This is widespread on fertile farmland and floodplain soils across much of North America, but perhaps native only to the Great Plains and midwest. It has also been identified as invasive in central Europe (Dostálek & Jehlík 2004, Grozeva 2014). Distinction from the closely related album (an alien in its strict sense) and standleyanum (a native) needs further study; many authors have combined missouriense with album (FNA 4, W). Although missouriense is perhaps associated with archaeological sites of Woodland age in east-central states, identification of seeds from these sites needs confirmation (Ford 1985). There is no evidence of domestication as in buschianum, which is found much more frequently in Woodland sites. C. missouriense may be distinguished from album as follows, but refinement is needed (Cr, Y, FNA 4; Baldwin et al. 2012, Grozeva 2014): stems mostly (75) 100-150 (200) cm tall (versus 35-100 cm), often with yellowish stripes (versus usually greyish or bluish striped), reddish-purple coloration often concentrated at nodes (versus widespread along stems or absent); leaves usually bluish to dark green (versus grayish to plain green), sparsely to moderately farinose below (versus usually densely so); lowest blades 2.5-4.5 cm wide (versus 1-3.5 cm), with L/W no more than 1.5 (versus 1.5-2+), the petiole 2.8-3.1 cm long (versus 0.5-2.5 cm); uppermost leaves mostly 2-4 x 1-2 cm (versus 1-3 x 0.5-1 cm), often with elongated central entire lobe and few teeth; inflorescence less compact, more delicate and flexuous with more or less curved to pendant branches (versus straight), flower clusters in spikes or panicles (versus branched spikes); perianth lobes oval (versus more elongated elliptical), with clearer nerves but narrower membranaous margins; seeds smaller (mostly 0.7-1.2 x 0.8-1 mm versus 1-1.5 x 1.1-1.3 mm). It is reported to flower only during Sep-Oct (versus May-Oct), and in warmer years flowering may be delayed even longer but with reduced seed production..