Described by English mycologist Mordecai Cubitt Cooke, the fungus grows on rotten wood, drywall/plasterboard, and plaster in homes, damp cellars, and basements.

[7] The fruit bodies of P. domicilia are cup-shaped; initially concave, they later develop an undulating margin and a depressed center.

[2] Peziza badia is darker brown, grows on the ground or well-decayed wood, and has longer spores measuring 15–19 by 7–10 μm.

[7] The fruit bodies of Peziza domiciliana grow singly, in groups, or in clusters on plaster, sand, gravel and coal-dust in cellars, caves, and greenhouses.

A search of her home, which had recently been flooded as a result of heavy rains, revealed the mushroom in her basement, and air sampling confirmed the presence of P. domiciliana spores.