\[ **BT: [[plants]] | [[Chinese medicine]]** ] --- # tongue fern **binominal:** *Pyrrosia lingua*.[^1] **Chinese:** 石韦, shíwéi.[^2] Also known as **golden sword grass**.[^3] Species of epiphytic (plant that grows on the surface of another plant[^4]) fern in the family Polypodiaceae. Found in [[China]] and [[geopolitical regions|Southeast Asia]], and into [[countries of the world|Japan]] and [[countries of the world|Taiwan]].[^5] Can also be grown as a cultivated plant.[^6] - ↬ [_Pyrrosia lingua_ (Thunb.) Farw.](https://www.gbif.org/species/7290072) --- ## tongue fern in Chinese medicine It is said to help with [bronchial asthma, dysentery, and other things](https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E9%A3%9E%E5%88%80%E5%89%91/9376825).[^7] [^1]: ‘石韦 shí wéi \[tongue fern]’, Baidu Baike, last edited 29 March 2026, https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%9F%B3%E9%9F%A6/2535828. [^2]: ‘石韦 shí wéi \[tongue fern]’, Baidu Baike, last edited 29 March 2026, https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%9F%B3%E9%9F%A6/2535828. [^3]: ‘石韦 shí wéi \[tongue fern]’, Baidu Baike, last edited 29 March 2026, https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%9F%B3%E9%9F%A6/2535828. [^4]: ‘Epiphyte’, Wikipedia, last edited 3 April 2026, 20:57 (UTC), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epiphyte. [^5]: ‘*Pyrrosia lingua*’, Wikipedia, last edited 3 April 2026, 16:58 (UTC), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrosia_lingua. [^6]: ‘*Pyrrosia lingua*’, Wikipedia, last edited 3 April 2026, 16:58 (UTC), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyrrosia_lingua. [^7]: ‘石韦 shí wéi \[tongue fern]’, Baidu Baike, last edited 29 March 2026, https://baike.baidu.com/item/%E7%9F%B3%E9%9F%A6/2535828.