Naturalized Mule's-foot fern, giant fern

Latin evectus, spread, carry aloft, in reference to the huge, spreading fronds.

Plants huge, terrestrial. Caudices massive, ascending, short, to 50+ cm diam., marked with "mule's-foot" scars at old stipe attachments. Fronds up to 7 x 3 m. Stipes with scattered, light tan fibrils to dark brown, linear-triangular scales on lower portion, glabrous distally; 2 large fleshy appendages (stipules) at the swollen base of each stipe. Pinnae 6-15 pairs, up to 150 cm long, bases of stalks with pulvini. Pinnules up to 25 cm long, dark green, leathery, lustrous. Veins free, 0-to 1-forked, parallel, with "false vein" between each vein.

Angiopteris evecta is spreading in moist, shaded valleys and moist ridges, 100-650 m, on O'ahu, Lana'i, Maui, and Hawai'i. Native to Malaysia and Polynesia and the Old World Tropics, mule's-foot fern was introduced to Hawai 'i at Lyon Arboretum in 1927. It has since escaped and is spreading rapidly, especially in the mountains behind Honolulu. In some hanging valleys above Manoa Valley, O'ahu, it has become a dominant plant that chokes out native species. It is naturalized and invasive in mid-elevation rain forest in Kipahulu Valley, East Maui.

The crushed or dried leaves of this fern have a pleasant odor suggesting that of maile (Alyxia oliviformis).

Angiopteris evecta is characterized by its huge, 2-pinnate fronds arising from short, thick trunks; 2 large, fleshy appendages (stipules) at the swollen base (pulvinus) of each stipe; pinna stalks with swollen bases (pulvini); and special spore-bearing structures (synangia) on the undersides of the pinnules.