This is widespread from northern South America to Carribbean regions and the southeastern Coastal Plain from La to S.Car. Inland there is also a curious disjunct population along or near the lower Tennessee River, lower Ohio River and its confluence with the Mississippi Rv. (K). It occurs in various types of woodland on seasonally damp fertile soils, often along trails and edges. More northern plants, as in Ky., tend to have relatively tall, robust, sulcate, purple-mottled stems, hastate leaves, and lanceolate-acuminate recurved phyllaries and paleae (FNA 21).