Basidiocarps small to medium, solitary to subgregarious. Pileus 32-82 mm, convex to plano-convex, then plano-depressed, with sulcate margin (0.17-0.31 R), entire, occasionally splitting along furrows, disc hazel to dark greyish sepia, paling to greyish sepia at margin, sulcate ridges concolorous with disc, furrows pale greyish sepia or vinaceous buff, slightly viscid when wet, quickly drying, volva remnants absent. Lamellae crowded, free, 6-10 mm wide, pale buff to buff, margin entire, brown vinaceous to dark greyish sepia at margin; lamellulae truncated. Stipe 70-120 mm high, 7-10(-17) mm diameter, hollow, tapering apically, surface pale greyish sepia, with hazel to greyish sepia, striate bands, becoming finer and more numerous towards apex. Exannulate. Volva 30-58 mm high, fleshy when young, 1-3 mm thick, becoming membranous with age, saccate, usually bilabiate, buff with ochreous to fulvous stains, with small, membranous, inner limb. Context in pileus white, pale brown vinaceous to pale sepia beneath disc, stipe white.

Spore print white. Basidiospores (520/38), (9.5-)10.5-14.5(-20) x (9-)10.5-14.5(-18) µm, Q^m 1.00, Q 1.00-1.14, globose to subglobose, thin-walled, hyaline, inamyloid. Basidia 50-92.5 x 10.5-22.5 µm, 1-4-spored, not clamped. Lamella margin cells 12-58(-70) x 9-50 µm, globose, clavate, napiform, sphaeropedunculate, usually hyaline, rarely pale umber. Pileipellis consisting of 20-40 µm wide, slightly gelatinised suprapellis, non-gelatinised subpellis. Volva trama in three layers, outer layer regular, central layer subregular and occasional interspersed with clavate cells, inner layer regular.

Two distinct variations from the norm have been observed and for convenience are referred to as 'individuals with friable volva' and 'white individuals'.

Individuals with friable volva. As above but pileus and stipe with felted patches of greyish sepia to dark greyish sepia volva remnants. Volva remnants composed of abundant, terminal, pale umber, globose to clavate cells, 26.5-82 x 20-78 µm, single or in short chains, on abundant, pale umber, branching hyphae, 6-11 µm wide, tending to vertically orientated (Fig. 4d, h).

White individuals. As above but pileus white to sordid white.