This segregate of speciosa is centered in the Great Plains, but extends east locally in remnants of grassland on base-rich soils (Sm, F, Cr, FNA 20, W; Ladd & Thomas 2015). There is no overlap of ranges within Ky. It is the "speciosa" that Short (1937) noted: "occurs in profuse abundance throughout the Barrens of Kentucky"; see also Pr and Harvill (1941). Leaves of rigidiuscula are distinctly narrower (at mid-stem mostly 0.5-1.5 cm versus 2-3 cm; basal 1-2 cm versus 3-5 cm), and less persistent at the plant base, with inconspicuous basal rosettes. Also, leaves tend to be shallowly serrate to entire (versus often coarsely serrate), often more scabrous, and usually less bluish. Sm reported that that inflorescences are usually narrower, with thicker phyllaries that have a more conspicuous mid-vein, and with more deeply yellow rays. J. Semple (in FNA 20) reported that rigidiuscula is a diploid (2n =18) like other species of sect. Squarrosae; but typical speciosa is reported to have higher numbers (2n = 18, 36, 54).