Treatment remains tentative; intectus may just be a variant of pubescens: var. intectus (Beadle) A.H. Moore, as treated in Tenn. (Chester et al. 2015). These plants have often been misidentified as inodorus in Ky. They generally match Hu's (1954-56) description of intectus, except that they typically have 3-7 flowers in each cymule, versus 5-9 in her description. P. intectus has been considered just a glabrous variety or form of pubescens, but Hu revived its status as a species. P. intectus may only be known from limestone bluffs near the Cumberland Rv. in Ky. and Tenn. (D. Estes, pers. comm.), transitional in range and morphology between the largely Ozarkian pubescens and the southern Appalachian inodorus. Colls. from LYON (NY) and other western localities should be rechecked for P. pubescens var. pubigerus Hu, which may be transitional from intectus to pubescens. Based on Hu's work and our local observations, intectus differs from pubescens in its smaller seeds (embryos ca. 1.25 mm versus 2 mm); smaller capsules (5-7 mm versus 7-9 mm); stigmatic surfaces unequal (adaxial/abaxial ratio ca. 2-3 versus subequal); sepals, hypanthia and pedicels glabrous (versus pubescent); cymules generally with fewer flowers, (1) 3-7 (9) versus 5-9 (11). Leaves are generally glabrous on both surfaces except along veins below (versus pubescent along veins above and uniformly below), and they tend to be larger with broader shape (often suborbicular on vegetative shoots); see notes under coronarius, which is easily confused.