Lycopodium repandum Desvaux ex Poiret in Lamarck, Encycl., Suppl. 3: 558. 1814; L. barbatum Kaulfuss; L. tetragonostachyum Wallich ex Greville & Hooker var. major Greville & Hooker; Selaginella barbata Warburg; S. henryi Koidzumi; S. suberecta Baker; S. tetragonostachya Spring, p.p.

Plants terrestrial or epilithic, seasonally green, ascending from decumbent base, 8-30 cm, with creeping subterranean rhizome and stolons. Rhizophores borne from base to upper part of main stem or restricted to creeping rhizomes and stolons (sometimes also on lateral branches), on ventral side in axils of branches. Main stems branched from near base upward, pinnately branched, stramineous, unbranched main stem 8-15 cm tall, oval or terete, apex of main stem and lateral branches sometimes flagelliform; primary leafy branches 2-6 pairs, once or twice pinnately branched, secondary branches once or twice forked, branchlets dense, adjacent primary branches on main stem 1.5-3 cm apart, leafy portion of main stem including leaves 4.4-6.6 mm wide at middle, ultimate branches 3-4.5 mm wide including leaves. Axillary leaves on main stems larger than those on branches, ovate or ovate-lanceolate, base not peltate, obtuse; axillary leaves on branches ± symmetrical, ovate, 2-3 × 1-1.4 mm, base exauriculate, margin ciliolate. Dorsal leaves asymmetrical, those on main stems in leafy portion slightly larger than those on branches; dorsal leaves on branches approximate, obliquely ovate, 0.7-1.6 × 0.4-0.9 mm, not carinate or slightly carinate, base obliquely subcordate, not peltate, margin long ciliolate (denticulate to apex), apex long acuminate to shortly aristate, parallel to axis or often reflexed. Ventral leaves asymmetrical, those on main stem larger than those on branches; ventral leaves on branches approximate, spreading, oblong-falcate, 2.5-3 × 1-1.5 mm, margin minutely denticulate, apex acute; basiscopic base rounded, margin ciliolate with a few long cilia at base, denticulate to apex; acroscopic base rounded, not overlapping stem and branches, margin ciliolate in basal half (denticulate to apex). Strobili solitary, terminal, compact, subtetragonal or subcomplanate, 3-7 × 1.5-3 mm; sporophylls unlike sterile leaves, submonomorphic or sometimes dorsal sporophylls longer, not obviously white-margined; dorsal sporophylls ovate, sharply carinate, margin ciliolate, apex acuminate; ventral sporophylls ovate, margin ciliolate; megasporophylls in basal portion on lower side of strobilus or ± randomly distributed on both sides; microsporangia orbicular, rather thin, cells uniform; microspores orange-red or red, coarsely granular, megaspores yellowish orange, baculate.

On rocks or under shrubs on soil banks; 100-1300 m. Guangxi, Guizhou, Hainan, Taiwan, Yunnan [Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam].