The genus Danaea is one of the few genera of ferns that are exclusively Neotropical. It can be found from Mexico, through all of Central and South America, south to Bolivia, Paraguay and Southeast Brazil. It also occurs on all the Greater Antilles, the more humid Lesser Antilles and on Cocos Island (Christenhusz 2007).

Danaea consists of approximately 50 species and occurs mainly in permanently wet forests on well drained soils. Several species seem to prefer steep slopes or creek banks in mostly undisturbed rainforests, although some species tolerate a moderate amount of disturbance. It can be found in lowland rainforests, wet mountain forests and cloud forests, up to an elevation of 2650 m, but the genus is most diverse between 100 and 1000 m (Christenhusz 2007).

A study on growth rates in ferns has shown that the leaves of some Danaea species are very long-lived, and this makes the genus one of the slowest growing ferns with a long life expectancy (Sharpe 1993).

The generic name commemorates G. P. M. Dana (1736 - 1801) an Italian professor of botany.