Lycopodium lucidulum Michaux, Fl. Bor.-Amer. 2: 224. 1803; Huperzia lucidula var. asiatica Ching; Urostachys lucidulus (Michaux) Herter ex Nessel.

Plants terrestrial. Stem erect or ascending, 12-15 cm, ca. 2.5 mm in diam. at middle, together with leaves 0.9-1.4 cm wide, 2 or 3 times dichotomously branched, upper portion often with bulbils. Leaves dense, reflexed, lustrous, lanceolate, slightly contracted toward base, straight, 5-9 × > 1.2 mm, thinly papery, both surfaces glabrous, midrib distinct only abaxially, indistinct adaxially, base cuneate, decurrent, sessile, margin straight and not crispate, upper portion with sparse acute teeth, apex acute or acuminate. Sporophylls homomorphic with trophophylls; sporangia visible because of reflexed sporophylls, yellowish, reniform.

Based on the protologue, the major difference between Huperzia lucidula var. asiatica and the typical variety is that var. asiatica has reflexed leaves. But based on examinations of North American material by one of us (Zhang), there are no reliable differences between the two varieties and thus they should be merged.

Mossy places in forests; below 1800 m. Jilin [North America].