わが国の各地をはじめ、北半球の温帯に広く分布しています。和名の「ひかげの」とは裏腹に、山地の日当たりのよいところに生えます。蔓のような長い茎を地面に這わせて、ところどころに短い枝を立ち上げます。夏に胞子のたくさん詰まった胞子嚢穂を出します。水に沈めてもなかなか腐らないので、池に投げ入れて金魚や鯉の産卵用の藻場に使ったそうです。中国語では「東北石松(dong bei shi song)」と呼ばれます。
ヒカゲノカズラ科ヒカゲノカズラ属の常緑シダ類で、学名は Lycopodium clavatum。英名は Common club moss。
The Common club moss (Lycopodium clavatum) belongs to the family Lycopodiaceae. It is an evergreen fern that is distributed widely all over Japan and the temperate region of Northern Hemisphere. Despite its Japanese name, "hikageno" (shady), it grows in sunny mountainous areas. This fern frows in sunny mountains. The stems are creeping and borne sparsely the short branches. The spore spikes are borne at the apex of shoot in summer. They resemble a tiny battle club, from which the common name derives. Since they do not decay easily even when submerged in water, they were thrown into ponds and used as algae beds for spawning goldfish and carp. In Chinese, it is called "東北石松" (dong bei shi song).