This is widely scattered across eastern states, but rare in southern sections of its range and virtually absent on the Coastal Plain (W). It may have been most frequent in thin woods and edges on moderately fertile, submesic lowlands and terraces, now increasingly influenced by agriculture and colonized by the more weedy, closely related species, syriaca; hybrids are known (Y). In 1914, Gm noted that purpurascens was "common on low ground, along streams and ditches." But it can also occur on seasonally dry uplands. Since 1980, it has been found in Ky. (pers. comm.) by D. Boone & R. Cassell on roadsides north of Mammoth Cave (EDMO/HART); by D. White along a trail at Big Bone Lick (BOON); by W. Overbeck in a dolomitic prairie remnant in GARR; by D. Estes along roads in LYON, MCRA and MCRE; by D. Dourson in LEE; by B. Dunlap in MCRA, by J. Carstens in MONT, and by N. Crawford in MUHL. There are also several new county records from iNaturalist.org since 2019. However, in 70 years of combined field work across the state, JC and MM have found this species on only 3-4 occasions. Based on diverse sources (F, Cr, Y, W etc.), purpurascens differs from syriaca in its smooth fruits (versus muricate), its more deeply purplish flowers, which have hoods without distinct lateral lobes, and its generally fewer umbels. From notes of R. Dunlap (pers. comm.), flowers may be generally glabrous in bud (versus pubescent) but pedicels may be generally pubescent (versus glabrous) It tends to have much less running roots, to be shorter (4-10 dm versus 5-20 dm) and to flower earlier (May-Jul versus Jun-Aug). Its leaf blades are "velvety-downy" below (versus "grayish-tomentose"), more glossy above, typically with narrower shape, L/W averaging 2-3 (versus 2), but more or less ovate, with less rounded base and apex (versus oblong to ovate).