This occurs on wet acid soils of the southeastern Coastal Plain, east of the Mississippi, and it also extends north to Pa. in Appalachian regions (FNA 25, W). It has been recently discovered in se. Ind. (Weakley et al. 2023) but remains unknown in Ohio. There has been confusion in Ky. and elsewhere with other taxa, including plants often known as var. hirsutior (see notes under that name as species) and var. pumilus (Vasey) L.H. Dewey (see notes under tenuispathaceus). Both of those taxa appear to deserve species status (W). Only diploids have been reported in the glomeratus complex (2n = 20), and intermediates between the segregates can be expected.