Japan Flora: Sterile stems 30-70 cm. long, erect, 2-A mm. across, green, rather soft, 10- to 18-grooved, the ridges with 2 rows of minute spinules, the central cavity about half the diameter of the stem; sheaths green at base, the teeth irregularly connate into 3-6 subacute lobes, rufous-brown; branches slender, verticillate, drooping above, loosely spinulose on the angles, ramulose, 3- or 4- grooved, the sheaths with 3 or 4 long, spreading, subulate- linear teeth; fertile stems with short branches; spikes 1-2 cm. long, pedunculate；

Reported to occur in Hokkaido (Shiribeshi Prov.). Sakhalin, n. Kuriles, n. Korea, Siberia to Europe, and N. America.

Russia Flora: Plant, up to 50 cm tall. Roots thin, black-brown. Spring sporogenous shoots simple, with reddish-brown leaf whorls; after spore production, green branches develop on them; on vegetative shoots, branches branch twice. Leaf teeth fused in groups of 2-4, large, reddish-brown. Cones 20-30 (40) mm long, almost cylindrical. 

All regions of the Far Eastern flora, except Chukotka, Anadyr, and Kolyma; undoubtedly found in Nyukzha, probably also in South Kuril. (Fig. 2).  In forests (more often in birch and aspen groves) and in shrub thickets. Used as fodder, medicinal, technical (dyeing). General distribution: European part, Caucasus, Western and Eastern Siberia, Central Asia; Atlantic Europe, Mongolia (northern), Japan-China, North America. Described from Europe.