This name is tentatively applied here, pending deeper investigation. Var. occidentale (= T. boreale Bickn.) is widespread across western and northern states plus adjacent Canada. It reportedly differs as follows (F, W, Y): hairs of the calyx and inflorescence are gland-tipped, 1.0-1.5 mm long (versus not gland-tipped, 0.5-0.8 mm); upper lobes of calyx are acute to acuminate (versus obtuse to acutish); leaf undersurface is densely pubescent beneath with long, straight or somewhat curly hairs (versus short, curved, loosely appressed), stems are villous with long hairs (versus short appressed to mostly glabrous). Several colls. may be referable to this taxon, as mapped here, but these need to be reexamined in detail; glands may be generally absent on calices, and some colls. may be transitional to var. virginicum or the more southern var. canadense (extending north from the Gulf Coastal Plain). Cranfill (1991) referred a coll. from HARD to var. occidentalis, but this has not been verified. An atypical coll. from HICK (MUR) has leaves only 1-1.5 cm wide, and bracts ca. 15 x 3 mm, mostly longer than flowers. It is possible that some or all of these colls. should be referred to var. canadense instead; see notes under var. virginicum. There has also been some confusion with the more southern var. hypoleucum Grisebach, which remains unknown in Ky. or Tenn., based on recent revision (W); that taxon has lower leaf surfaces silvery with tightly appressed, straight hairs (versus grayish with short, curved, loosely appressed hairs).