This perennial is known only from wooded calcareous slopes at a few localities in c. Ky. and c. Tenn., especially along animal trails (Braun 1956; T. Littlefield, pers. comm.). The plants in Tenn. have been considered distinct, as var. ampla Rollins, by some authors (Baskauf et al. 2013). B collected an apparent hybrid with laevigata in FRAN (GH). There has been some confusion with dentata. But, although perstellata is most closely related to dentata, no transitions or hybrids have been documented.