It is white, yellowish, or reddish-pink in color,like Monotropa and other close relatives, little is known about the life cycle of the plant due to its rarity, but it probably obtains its nutrients by parasitizing fungi, that are part of the Russulaceae ,in a similar manner to the rest of its tribe of the Monotropeae, so it lacks the green of chlorophyll.

[2] It grows from a rhizome with fragile roots and its form is covered in sparse scales which are the rudimentary leaves.

An inflorescence emerges on a thick stalk from the soil bearing solitary to densely bunched flowers.

The flowers have ragged yellowish or pinkish petals and contain hairs and large rounded yellow stigmas.

Their roots are fibrous, the shoot and inflorescence axis that sprouts from them is upright and creamy white to reddish.