This monotypic southeastern genus is largely restricted to acid infertile soils in thin woods and grassland; 2n = 32 (W). The only recent Ky. records are from a few sites on Cumberland Mt. in BELL (TENN) and HARL (KSNPC), near the Va. state line. There is also an old coll. from TODD (PH) that was made by C.W. Short in the 1830s: "near Elkton, meadows and barrens." The species has alkaloids that are toxic to a diversity of animals, which was well-known to native Americans (Morman 1986) and presumably early European settlers.