This large fern is a pantropical rhizomatous weed that has spread from se. Asian islands, often in assocication with horticulture and agriculture (FNA 2). It is established at many sites scattered across southeastern states (W). In Ky. it was unknown before 2010 but was recently collected from HARD for KSNPC (M. Hines, pers., comm.), from TODD (Gorman et al. 2011), from TRIG for APSC (D. Estes & J. Shaw, pers. comm.) and MEAD for JEF (W. Thomas, SERNEC). At all sites, plants were found in disturbed mesic woods, within 10-100 m of a field or roadside. There are also several accepted records from iNaturalist. It appears to be spreading north especially in the Shawnee Hills and elsewhere across the lower Ohio Valley.