This is widespread in rocky woods on dry base-rich soils across eastern Northern America, but absent from most of the southeastern Coastal Plain (K, W). The genus is virtually monotypic; T. montana (Mack.) Cronq. is endemic to the Central Appalachians, in or near shale barrens, but it has been placed in Pseudotaenidia by some authors. The chemistry of T. integerrima remains mysterious; its taste is celery- or cumin-like. Tradtional human use includes treatment for bronchial infections, and to "smoke seeds in a pipe before hunting for good luck" (Smith 1923-32). [Downie et al. (2010) have indicated that Taenidia, Zizia, Polytaenia and Thaspium belong to a North American clade allied with the Selenieae.]