A saprobic species, the fungus produces brownish, cup-shaped fruit bodies that grow singly or in clusters on either soil or well-rotted wood.

The species was first described by Mordecai Cubitt Cooke in 1877, based on material from South Carolina sent to him by American botanist Henry William Ravenel.

[6] The asci (spore-bearing cells) are operculate (containing a lid-like covering over the opening), eight-spored, and cylindrical, measuring 215–285 by 11.5–13.5 μm.

[8] Peziza phyllogena grows solitarily or in dense clusters on soil or on well-decayed logs.

[6] The fungus has a widespread distribution in North America,[9] especially the upper Midwest of the United States.