This is widespread in thin damp woods across eastern North America, except on most of the southeastern Coastal Plain. P. aurea is a diploid (2n = 44) that appears to form occasional hybrids with anonyma and other species (FNA 20); see also notes under obovata. As in most species of Senecioneae, plants contain pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which appear to have been involved in ancient medicinal uses despite the potential for toxicity (Roeder et al. 2015). A somewhat similar midwestern taxon to be expected in Ohio and Ky. is P. pseudaurea (Rydb.) W.A.Weber & Á.Löve var. semicordata (Mack. & Bush) Trock & T.M.Barkley. This may deserve species status (W) and has been reported from Jennings Co., Ind. (K). The pseudaurea complex differs from aurea and allies as follows (FNA 20): basal leaf: blades broadly to narrowly lanceolate, narrowly ovate, or subhastate (versus cordate, obovate, orbiculate, ovate, or reniform), margins serrate-dentate or sharply dentate (versus crenate, dentate, lobed or wavy, and with apices acute (versus rounded).