This taxon was described by Munz (1965) from the eastern Highland Rim of Ala., Tenn. and Ky, However, it has been difficult to distinguish it from brevistipata based on available information (W). It was reported from EDMO, FLEM and HARD by Munz, but these colls. have not been located. The type coll. is from May Prairie in Coffee Co., Tenn., and it appears to be generally more velutinous than Ky. colls. of brevistipata, which do vary much in pubescence. Compared to brevistipata, the May Prairie plants may also have more widely branched inflorescences with shorter leaves (L/W mostly 2-4 versus 5-10); deeper analysis is needed. Plants of western Ky. that have been named perennis in error could perhaps be combined with var. sharpii to form a variant of brevistipata that is concentrated on damper ground. Alternatively, it may be that sharpii and these plants confused with perennis are mostly just late-season collections of brevistipata with more branched inflorescences. They tend to have more finely divaricate branching and smaller leaves with dense pubescence; flowers are sometimes relatively small. There is, indeed, a remarkably long period of flowering in brevistipata and sharpii: from mid-May to late July.