Distribution
Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kosovo, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Portugal, Russian Federation, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, St. Pierre and Miquelon, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United States of America

Native to: Alaska, Alberta, Austria, Azores, Belarus, Belgium, British Columbia, Bulgaria, Buryatiya, California, China Southeast, Connecticut, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kentucky, Labrador, Maine, Manitoba, Maryland, Masachusettes, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, Netherlands, New Brunswick, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Newfoundland, North Carolina, Northwest European R, Nova Scotia, Ohio, Ontario, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Prince Edward I., Québec, Rhode I., Saskatchewan, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Siberia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Yugoslavia.

Horizontal stems flat on ground, 3-12 × 0.5-0.9 cm; stems (excluding leaves) slender, 0.5-0.9 mm diam.; leaves monomorphic, spreading, upcurved, 5-6 × 0.5-0.7 mm, margins entire. Peduncles 1(-2) per plant, 3.5-6 × 0.4-0.7 cm; strobilus length 1/2-1/3 total height; leaves spreading, 5-6 × 0.5–0.8 mm, margins rarely toothed. Strobili 10-20 × 2.5-5.5 mm. Sporophylls spreading to spreading-ascending, 4.5-5 × 0.5-0.9 mm, margins rarely toothed. 2n = 156.
Habitat: Bogs, lakeshores, marshes, lichens, borrow pits.
Elevation: 0-2000 m.
(Flora of North America)

Багаторічна трав’яна рослина 5-10 см заввишки. Стебло повзуче, густо вкрите лінійно-шилоподібними листками (мікрофілами). Спороносні гілки короткі, не галузяться, нечітко відмежовані від стебла, на верхівках мають довгі стробіли без ніжки. Спороносить у липні-вересні. Спори численні світло-жовті. Розмножується спорами і вегетативно.
(ЧКУ, 2009)