The fruiting bodies of this species are blue- to purple-colored clusters of vase- or spoon-shaped caps, with veiny wrinkles on the underside which run down the length of the stem.

The specific epithet multiplex means "in many pieces", referring to the compound nature of the fruiting body.

P. multiplex contains the bioactive compound polyozellin, which has been shown to have various beneficial physiological properties, including suppressive effects on stomach cancer.

These clusters are typically 15 centimetres (6 in) tall and 30 cm (11.8 in) wide, with masses exceptionally reaching diameters of up to 1 meter (3.3 ft).

[4][5][6][7][8] The individual caps, 3–8 cm (1.2–3.1 in) wide,[8] are violet-black, with edges that are initially whitish, and with a glaucous surface—a white powdery accumulation of spore deposit.

[12] The spores are roughly spherical to broadly ellipsoid in shape, covered with small wart-like projections (tubercules), and have dimensions of 6–8.5 by 5.5–8 μm.

The outer tissue layer of the cap—the cuticle, or pileipellis—is made of interwoven hyphae, and stains olive-green in KOH.

A closely related species, the fragrant chanterelle (Cantharellus odoratus), also tends to grow in dense clusters, but it is orange rather than blue.

[2] Other species like P. astrolazulinus, P. mariae, and P. marimargaretae have also been identified on the East coast and therefore identification may be more difficult in regions of overlap.

Collections have been made in the United States (including Maine, Oregon, Colorado, New Mexico, and Alaska), Canada (Quebec and British Columbia),[19][5][10][13] China,[20] Japan, and Korea.

[22] Polyozellus multiplex is edible,[23] and is collected for sale in Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, and China.

Chemicals that inhibit PEP have attracted research interest due to their potential therapeutic effects.

[29] Further analyses of extracts from P. multiplex revealed similar dibenzofuranyl derivatives of polyozellin, each with different chemical properties, including kynapcin-12,[30] kynapcin-13 and -28,[31] and -24.