Spore print purple-brown. Medium-sized mushrooms growing in clusters on fallen wood. Cap smooth, convex to bell-shaped, with small central peak in H. acutum, usually with scale-like veil remnants around the edge of the cap. Gills with a greenish tinge, attached to stalk. Gills covered by veil when young, but when mature the veil remnants are whispy against the stalk, not forming a proper ring.

The indigenous species H. brunneum (dark brown cap with conspicuous, paler veil remnants), H. fasciculare (yellow-brown to orange-brown cap), and H. acutum (brown cap with small central peak) are all common in New Zealand forests. This genus is sometimes referred to as Naematoloma.

Pholiota species have a similar habit, growing in clusters on fallen wood, but are generally more robust, the cap is often gelatinous, and the spore print is a cinnamon brown rather than purple-brown colour. The small, peaked cap of H. acutum has a similar form to some Galerina species, but Galerina has a rusty-brown spore print.

Saprobe on wood. Small to medium-sized, rather nondescript mushrooms, often in clusters. Very dark, purplish spore print.

Six or seven species have been reported from New Zealand, only those listed below have descriptions or images available from NZFungi.

Pileus regular, fleshy, margin incurved when young; gills adnate or adnexed and sinuate ; stem central, veil cobweb-like, not forming a distinct ring, after rupture attached in fragments to margin of pileus ; spores purple-brown.

Mostly tufted and growing on wood, buried roots, &c. Distinguished from Stropharia by the absence of an interwoven complete ring on the stem. When a trace of a ring is present it is in the form of delicate fibres, and very scanty.

Hypholoma agrees in structure with Hebeloma, Entoloma, and Tricholoma. On wood, or clustered on or around stumps; often clustered.