Herba Onychii Japonici，the dried herb of Onychium japonicum(Thunb.) Kze.，is an ethnic herbal medicine with the functions of clearing heat，removing toxin，stopping bleeding，and eliminating dampness.It is commonly used in the treatment of wind-heat common cold，cough caused by lung heat，acute gastroenteritis，dysentery and other diseases.This herb was firstly recorded in Illustrated Reference of Botanical Nomenclature(Zhi Wu Shi Ming Tu Kao) and used by the people of Zhuang and Yao ethnic minorities in Guangxi，the people of Tujia ethnic minority in western Hubei，and as a bleeding-stopping medicine in the ethnic minority gathering area in Guizhou.O.japonicum was once recorded in the Chinese Pharmacopoeia(1977 Edition).The research on this herb is insufficient due to the weak research foundation of ethnic herbs and folk usage.O.japonicum is the main herb used in the Baijin Granules developed by the Guangxi International Zhuang Medicine Hospital based on clinical experience.This formula has been proved suitable and effective for the treatment of hyperuricemia by years of clinical trials.However，the quality standard of O.japonicum needs to be improved to facilitate the promotion.This paper summarized the development history and research progress of O.japonicum from quality standards，resource distribution，pharmacognosy，molecular biology，chemical composition，and pharmacological effects，aiming to provide reference for improving the quality standards of O.japonicum and lay a foundation for further development and utilization of the ethnic medicinal resources.