This southern Appalachian annual has been reported from sw. Va. to nw. Ga. (F). It is typical of thin oak woods on dry sandy soils, especially with fires, roads or other disturbances. Some records from Ky. are old and dubious, but these plants are well-known to be scattered along Pine Mt. in BELL, HARL and LETC. Typical pedicularia is a more northern taxon that has been reported in error (M). Var. austromontana has been distinguished from more northern varieties as follows (F): upper half of stem densely glandular and hirsute (versus glandless or with glands scattered among the hirsute pubescence); calyx lobes 8-16 mm long (versus 5-10 mm). However, F's distinction of three varieties from typical plants within this species may not be justified (W). There has also been much confusion between pedicularia and pectinata, so that available mapping appears to be unreliable (K, W).