This cespitose perennial occurs in grassy openings on dry base-rich soils across northeastern regions, and extends south along the higher Appalachians (W). It should not to be confused with var. latifolia; see notes under S. cf. lonchophylla. The only clearly verified record for Ky. may be from LEWI (KY), but further review is desirable (Trauth-Nare & Naczi 1998; R. Naczi, pers. comm.). S. officinalis, broadly defined, has an ancient history of medicinal uses, especially for respiratory problems. In addition to continued harvesting from the wild, plants have become widely cultivated (Smith & Catlig 1999), Ingredients include unusual saponins, phenolic acids, sorbitol derivatives, methyl salicylate and sterols (Patel et al. 2022).