Lycopodioides remotifolia (Spring) H. S. Kung; Selaginella involucrata Warburg; S. japonica Miquel; S. kelungensis Hayata; S. remotifolia var. japonica (Miquel) Koidzumi.

Plants terrestrial, evergreen, creeping, 20-50 cm or more. Rhizophores at intervals throughout length of creeping stem and branches, on dorsal side in axils of stem branches. Main stems branched from near base upward, not obviously articulate, stramineous, 0.5-1.5 mm in diam. in lower part, oval or terete, sulcate, glabrous, with single vascular bundle, basal lateral branches occasionally developed into rather long branch systems; primary leafy branches 5-10 pairs or more, once or twice pinnately branched, secondary branches forked or once pinnately branched, branchlets sparse, adjacent primary branches on main stem 3-5 cm apart, ultimate branches 3-4(-7) mm wide including leaves. Leaves decussate, not white-margined, margin subentire. Axillary leaves on main stems larger than those on branches, ovate or broadly ovate, base not peltate, attenuate; axillary leaves on branches symmetrical, ovate-lanceolate or elliptic, 1.4-2.4 × 0.5-1.2 mm, base exauriculate, margin slightly denticulate. Dorsal leaves asymmetrical, those on main stems slightly larger than those on branches, base uniauriculate, margin entire; dorsal leaves on branches approximate or imbricate, elliptic-lanceolate or ovate-elliptic, 1.4-2(-2.8) × 0.4-0.9(-1.2) mm, not carinate, base uniauriculate, margin subentire or minutely denticulate, apex long acuminate, parallel to axis. Ventral leaves asymmetrical, those on main stem larger than those on branches; ventral leaves on branches distant or approximate, spreading, ovate-lanceolate, 1.8-3(-3.6) × 0.8-1.4(-1.7) mm, margin subentire or denticulate, apex acute; acroscopic base rounded, not overlapping stem and branches, margin minutely denticulate or subentire. Fertile branches erect. Strobili solitary, terminal and lateral to branches, compact, tetragonal, 3.5-6 × 1-3 mm; sporophylls uniform, not white-margined, ovate-lanceolate, carinate, margin denticulate, apex acuminate; ventral sporophylls ovate-lanceolate, margin denticulate, only 1 megasporophyll at base on lower side of strobilus, elsewhere with microsporophylls; microspores pale yellow, megaspores gray-white.

Shaded slopes; (100-)600-2400(-3000) m. Chongqing, Fujian, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hubei, Hunan, Jiangxi, Sichuan, Taiwan, Yunnan, Zhejiang [NE India, Indonesia (Sumatra), Japan, Nepal, Philippines].