This Eurasian biennial weed was first reported in Ky. by Meijer (1972a). It has become locally abundant in the eastern and central Bluegrass region, but remains unknown elsewhere. The species is widespread across much of North America, especially in rough pastures or adjacent roadsides on base-rich soils. But it is rare to absent in southeastern states (FNA 19; K). Partly fertile hybrids with nutans may be expected (Cr, FNA 19), despite the higher chromosome number of acanthoides: 2n = 22 versus 16.