This northeastern species is most common on moist, somewhat base-rich soils in midwestern regions (K). Its distribution in Ky. appears curiously fragmented, being virtually unknown in the Ky. Rv. Palisades, Shawnee Hills and Green Rv. hills (including the Mammoth Cave area). It is one of only two sedges in Ky. that have moderately broad (ca. 3-8 mm) leaves that are usually pubescent; the other species is davisii. In vegetatve characters, hirtifolia differs from davisii as follows (FNA 23): plants loosely cespitose, with short rhizomes (versus densely cespitose); culm bases and basal sheaths red-brown (versus dark maroon); sheath fronts membranous (versus white-hyaline to brown-hyaline, rarely membranous).