This occurs mostly on the southeastern Coastal Plain in dry sandy soils, north perhaps to s. Mo., and no records from Ky. are verified. There has been confusion between sciurea (2n = 42) and octoflora (2n = 14), especially in Tenn., Ky. and Mo. Treatments have been somewhat inconsistent (e.g. Y versus FNA 24). In Ky. colls. initially named sciurea (or elliotea) from GRAV (MUR) and MCRA (SIU) appear to be octoflora instead. A coll. to support the report by Woods (1983) from CALL has not been located. D. Estes (pers. comm.) has recently determined that some colls. named sciurea from w. Tenn. and w. Ky. approach V. octoflora var. hirtella (Piper) Henrard, which occurs widely across western and northern states and adjacent Canada (FNA 24).