This widespread variable eastern taxon was generally known as V. triloba Schwein. after Robinson & Fernald (1908) but before McKinney's (1992) revision. It differs from sororia as follows (W; Ballard et al. 2023): heterophyllous, the earliest and latest leaf blades undivided, the largest (in chasmogamous flower to fruit) shallowly to deeply "pedately" divided into 3, 5 or 7 lobes (versus homophyllous, blades undivided). Flowers, fruits and seeds are similar. V. palmata is also closely related and often confused with subsinuata, to which the name palmata was often misapplied. V. palmata occurs in habitats similar to those of sororia, but is concentrated on drier, poorer soils, often in oak-hickory woods or transitions rather than sugar maple-basswood. Mostl Ky. plants may be referable to the relatively northern var. triloba (Schwein.) Ging. in DC. A few Ky. colls. have some leaves with deeper or more numerous lobes, but early leaves still more or less unlobed; these may be referable to var. palmata, including var. dilatata Ell. according to Ballard et al. (2023) Var. palmata has a more southern range and may sometimes appear transitional to subsinuata. Such colls. are known from CHRI (McKinney #6165 at APSC), LYON (M. Wharton #9795 at EKY), JEFF (P.A. Davies 17 May 1947, at DHL); HART and WAYN (B's colls. at US). In contrast, there are some collections with less lobing that appear hybridized with sororia, hirsutula or other species.