The Monarch Fern, also known as the Musk Fern, Maile-Scented Fern, Breadfruit Fern, or Wart Fern, is native to Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands. It is distinguished by its large, leathery, glossy fronds, which are often deeply lobed and range from 30 to 90 centimetres in length. On the undersides of these fronds, sori—small dots or patches that house the sporangia—develop in neat, linear rows.

When young, the sori are green in colour, but as they mature and begin producing spores, they gradually darken to brown. Thriving in tropical and subtropical habitats such as coastal forests and rocky outcrops, the Monarch Fern forms dense clumps and is valued for its large leathery fronds, adaptability, and use in local traditional medicine and landscaping.