在臺灣各地的低海拔山區普遍生長，是尋常易見的蕨類植物。球狀的地下塊莖甘甜多汁，是登山客解渴充飢的取水植物，因為形狀像腎臟，所以有腎蕨之名，另一個說法是孢子囊群的孢膜裂口為腎臟形。嫩葉片是常見的花藝素材，俗稱玉羊齒。腎蕨耐陰，室內外曬太陽或陰暗處都可以生長，在綠美化以及淨化室內空氣都有不錯表現。

Tuberous Sword Fern is a common fern distributed widely in low-altitude mountainous areas all over Taiwan. The globular underground tubers taste sweet and juicy hence it is used as a water-fetching plant for mountaineers to quench their thirst and hunger. It’s also known as kidney fern because the tuber resembles kidney. Another explanation is the spore membrane cracks of the sori shaped like kidney. The tender fronds are popular floral materials. Highly tolerant to shade, Kidney fern can thrive in both sunny outdoor spaces or dark rooms. It has a great effect on greening and purifying indoor air.

腎蕨屬多年生草本，原產亞洲、非洲熱帶地區，在臺灣普遍自生。根莖短小，根上常長有肉質的球形塊根。一回羽狀複葉，叢生，幼時密生赤褐色毛狀鱗片；小葉波浪狀緣。孢子囊堆圓形，著生於細脈末端近緣處。因其孢子囊群的孢膜裂口展開呈腎臟形，故名為腎蕨；另一說法則是指根上的球形塊根像腎臟。

The plant is a perennial herb of the genus Nephrolepis and native to tropical regions of Asia and Africa, a common volunteer plant in Taiwan. Rhizomes short and often growing fleshy spherical tubers. Frond pinnately compound, clustered, densely covered with red-brown hair-like scales when young; leaflet wavy-margined. Sori round and borne at the end of veinlets along the margin. It’s also known as ‘kidney fern’ because the indusia split or spherical tubers resembling a kidney.

全日照或半遮陰潮濕環境都可以生長。介質需排水良好。以孢子繁殖，亦可分株繁殖。

The plants thrive in full sun or partial shade, humid environment and prefer well-drained soils. Breeding by spores or ramets.

地下走莖蔓延生長，是優良的地被植物。可以盆植或懸掛種植，作為盆栽、綠牆的材料。嫩芽及球莖可食。葉片是良好的插花材料。全株可入藥。

With creeping underground stolons, the plant is an excellent groundcover plant. They can be cultivated in pots or in hanging pots as well as material of green walls. The shoots and corms are edible. The fronds are commonly used as material of flower arrangement. The whole plant has medicinal uses.