This is a variable species or species-complex of eastern North America. With its broad definition, 2n = 14, 21 or 28; see also notes under mutabile. In Ky. typical canadense occurs mostly in thin woods on moist to damp base-rich soils, especially toe-slopes just above floodplains. But its distribution is patchy, and the species is uncommon to rare in some agricultural regions, perhaps due to past rooting of hogs for its edible bulbs. Bulbs of canadense and its close relatives (including mutabile) have outer coats that develop a fibrous reticulatum (F, FNA 26); in contrast, outer coats of cernuum are membranous but minutely striate. (Outer coats of vineale are membranous but striate, splitting into parallel strips and fibers.)