Veil is pressing against the gills and turns into a prominent ring often striated with dark brown spore print upon the stem expansion.

[1] The species grows parasitically and saprotrophically in hardwood trees such as Beilschmiedia tawa, Hoheria or Plagianthus but can also be found on Nothofagus, birches or poplars.

It can be collected in the wild or cultivated on logs that are inoculated four to eight weeks after cutting and defoliating.

According to a study from Lincoln University in 1990, tawaka contains approximately 20% protein in dry mass, which is roughly half of what can be found in the common button mushroom, while the essential amino acid composition is similar.

[6] Although most commonly known for its culinary value, tawaka was historically used by Māori people as a traditional medicine.