This is widely scattered across southeastern and Atlantic states, plus the southern Great Lakes region. But it is largely restricted to seasonally wet acid soils in varied open habitats with native vegetation. In Ky. most records are from the Appalachian Plateaus or nearby. The species often benefits from ground disturbance and may have been promoted by fire before settlement. After bulldozing a Miscanthus-infested site on Whittleton Ridge in WOLF, D. Dourson increased the population of ciliaris from a few dozen to ca. 285 three years later (ca. 1990). The old disjunct western records from CHRI (Ettman & McAdoo 1979) and MCRA (BT) may be supported by colls., but these have not been located. Neither is there confirmation of Ettman & McAdoo's records from the Cumberland Mt. counties. However, Pr's record from EDMO is supported by her excellent painting of this species at MO, labeled "Chalybeate Springs, wet sand soil" on 29 Jul 1896; plus her coll. from the same locality, "sand swamp" on 17 Jul 1897. Note that Blephariglottis may become the accepted genus for this and other Platanthera species with tripartite or fringed lips (W).