This is an uncommon species of mesic calcareous or dolomitic bluffs in Ark., Mo, Iowa, Ill., Ind., sw. Ohio (rare in ravines draining glaciated lands), Ky. (rare on Ordovician cliffs along Kentucky Rv. and Cumberland Rv) and Tenn. (one site along Caney Fk. of Cumberland Rv. in Smith Co). V. molle is distinguished by its exfoliating bark, large cordate (tomentose or glabrate) leaves, and consistent presence of stipitate glands in foliage and inflorescence. Variation needs further attention; 2n is reportedly 18 or 36. The Ozarkian plants often spread by runners to form clonal colonies (Y), but in Ky. such behavior is unknown. Those plants have been confused with V. ozarkense Ashe (Weckman 2002), to which the name V. dentatum var. deamii has also been sometimes misapplied. V. ozarkense has much affiinity with V. bracteatum Rehder of s. Tenn, n. Ala. and n. Ga., and may be considered conspecific (Estes 2010); 2n = 36 in both. V. bracteatum appears somewhat intermediate between molle and deamii, which can be distinguished by the presence of stellate hairs, especially on petioles. Records of molle from BATH, FLEM, LEE, MCRE, PULA and TRIG (B at GH/MO; Wharton 1945; Ellis et al. 1971; Campbell et al. 1991) have been based on misidentified deamii, recognitum or rafinesquianum. A few colls. included here under deamii from relatively mesic ravine sites in JACK, LAUR, ROWA and elsewhere (EKY, KY) have larger subcordate leaves with dense teeth and general lack of stellate hairs, suggesting similarity to bracteatum in some cases;