Basidiocarps (fruit bodies) are effused, waxy, and occur on dead wood.

Only the type species, described from Ecuador and reported from Brazil,[1] is currently confirmed as belonging to the genus.

Hirneolina was originally published in 1900 by French mycologist Narcisse Patouillard as a subdivision of Sebacina, a genus then used for any species with tremelloid (vertically septate) basidia and effused basidiocarps.

It was raised to the level of genus by Italian mycologist Giacomo Bresadola in 1905.

[1] Molecular research, based on cladistic analysis of DNA sequences, has indicated that Hirneolina hirneoloides is not closely related to Heterochaete and that Hirneolina is a distinct genus within the Auriculariaceae.