This is a widespread diploid (2n= 20) or tetraploid of damp prairies in midwestern regions, from Tex. and La. to Minn, and Wisc. (FNA 2, Y, K). There are several reported populations from east of the Mississippi Rv., Wabash Rv. and Lake Michigan, but the status of these plants remains uncertain in some cases. L. pycnostachya has been previously attributed to Ky. by Cr and other authors (FNA 21), apparently based on the old coll. of C.W. Short (NY) labeled "Barrens of Ky." (det. by L.O. Gaiser). This record might reasonably be mapped in CHRI or nearby. There is also a coll. of R. Athey from CALL (MUR) that is referable to pycnostachya: #1840, 19 Jul 1972, "3 miles on Ky. 732, 0.2 miles on side road, open woods." However, this locality in 2015 had mostly spicata and squarrosa, together with a few apparent hybrids between those two diploid species (M. Brock, pers. comm.). Distinction of such hybrids from pycnostachya may be difficult or impossible. L. pycnostachya differs from spicata primarily in its phyllary apices acute to acuminate (versus rounded to obtuse) and spreading to recurved (versus appressed); also, plants tend to be more hairy