This northeastern to Appalachian species has western disjunctions in the Shawnee Hills, and elsewhere outside of Ky. (FNA 2). It is avoided by browsing mammals, and can become abundant in thin woods where deer are dense. S. punctilobulum is almost the only fern in eastern North America to have dense glandular hairs, which provide its phenolic "hay-scented" character and make it unpalatable for mammalian herbivores. Levels of this chemical defense tend to be higher in more nitrogen-rich plants (Dustin & Cooper-Driver 1992). The species appears to become more abundant in some areas due to browsing of competing herbs and woody plants by deer (Rooney & Dress 1997, Goetsch et al. 2011, Nuttle et al. 2014, Wilbur et al. 2017).