Roots clustered at soil contacts of horizontal stem, 5--30 X 0.4--0.6 cm. Horizontal stems with leaves remote, linear-needlelike, recurved at base, upcurved at apex, 2.9--3.1 X 0.1--0.15 mm. Upright shoots to 45 X 3.5 mm, gradually diminishing and branched successively 3 times, 3--12 cm from base to form complex treelike habit. Lateral branchlets spreading-ascending, drooping at tips, 0.2--0.4 mm wide, leaves needlelike, recurved basally, upcurved apically, 2--2.5 X 0.1--0.2 mm, leaves and stems sometimes hairy near strobili. Strobili nodding at 60--80° to subtending vegetative branch, 0.4--0.8 X 0.15--0.2 cm. Sporophylls trowel-shaped, 1.5--2 X 0.7--0.8 mm, margins fringed, teeth to 0.2 mm, mostly branched.

Wet depressions and ditches in pinelands, road banks; 0--100 m; Ala., Fla., Ga., La., Miss., S.C.

Palhinhaea cernua is a showy plant. This is probably the world's most abundant club-moss. The species overwinters as buried stem tips, the rest of the plant dying.