The slender branches are slightly flattened or spreading, and forked or crested near the top.

The odor of the mushroom tissue ranges from indistinct to earthy, and it tastes initially sweet, then somewhat bitter.

[7] The basidia (spore-bearing cells) are typically four-spored, with the spores attached by sterigmata up to 7 μm long.

[9] Fruit bodies grow scattered or in groups (sometimes arranged in rows)[7] on the ground in duff of coniferous forests.

In North America, it is found in the United States (mostly October–February on the West Coast and July–October inland),[11] including the Pacific Northwest,[9] as well as Mexico.