This species of the Great Plains is not verified in Ky., but there is some potential for past intergradation with related species in the state. It has been recorded east to Ind., Ohio and Va. (K, W; McKinney & Russell 2002), but records from sw. Ohio have been transferfred to baxteri and the Va. colls. have been transferred to "tenuisecta" (Ballard et al. 2023). V. pedatifida has been reported a few times from Ky. apparently based on misidentified plants of eggelstonii, palmata, subsinuata or baxteri (M). Some authors have suggested that pedatifida may often intergrade with others (Cr), but Ballard (in prep.) has stated: "A very uniform sp. almost entirely confined to mesic blacksoil prairies and other prairie-like sites, with its midwestern range tightly adhering to Transeau's (1935) Prairie Peninsula." It differs (with brittoniana) from the subsinuata complex (with baxteri) as follows (W): petioles glabrous (versus glabrous or hirsute), leaf blades sparsely appressed-hirtellous on veins (versus hirsute across lower surface), margins appressed-ciliolate (versus often ciliate); spurred petal densely bearded (versus glabrous); lowest sepals lanceolate (versus oblong to ovate), sharply acute (versus usually obtuse to rounded); auricles prominent, elongating in fruit to 6 mm (versus short, rounded, not elongating) ; cleistogamous capsules green drying tan, unspotted (versus purple-spotted), peduncles erect, nearly or fully as long as petioles (versus prostrate or arching, shorter than petioles) ; seeds medium brown to orange-brown, unspotted (versus variously colored, mostly spotted or blotched).