This has a much broader range than maculata, also centered in the Appalachians but extending further into adjacent regions. There is a remarkable extension along the Cumberland Rv. into w. Ky. and w. Tenn. (Ch, K). P. lanuginosa typically occurs on slightly drier, less fertile soils than maculata, and differs in several useful characters; see notes under maculata. Young shoots are reported to be eaten in traditional wild diets of Cherokee Indians (White 1975).