Holotype (PDD 27099); Isotype (Herb. HK. ZT 69/207): 'Milford Sound, Fiordland, N.Z.; leg. Horak, 1.IV.1969'.

Pileus 4-12 mm broad, conic when young becoming conico-convex then campanulate with distinct obtuse umbo, date brown to yellow-brown or honey brown, dry, glabrous to minutely fibrillose, striated towards the margin. Lamellae adnexed to free, whitish or yellowish when young turning brownish-yellow with rust brown tinge, crowded, gill edge concolorous, even. Stipe 15-35 x 1-2(3) mm, fusoid, rooting, pseudorhiza absent, concolorous with pileus or paler, often whitish at the base, dry, glabrous, tough, hollow, single. Context dark brown, not gelatinous. Odor and taste distinctly raphanoid. Chemical reactions on pileus: KOH, HC1 and NH₃ - negative.
Spores 6-7 x 3.5-4 µm, subamygdaliform to ellipsoid, rugulose-roughened, without distinct mucro, ferruginous. Basidia 20-27 x 5 µm, 4-spored. Cheilocystidia 20-30 x 2-3 µm, hair-like with rounded apex, hyaline, membrane thin-walled, scattered on gill edge. Pleurocystidia absent. Cuticle a cutis consisting of repent, cylindric, thin-walled, not gelatinized hyphae (2-8 µm diam.), encrusted with brown pigment. Clamp connections numerous on cuticular hyphae.

On soil amongst mosses in Nothofagus forests (N. menziesii, N. cliffortioides) with Dacrydium cupressinum. New Zealand.

Pileo 4-12 mm lato, e conico conico-convexo, dein obtuso-campanulato, brunneo vel obscure melleo, sicco, innate fibrilloso. Lamellis adnexo-subliberis, e luteolo luteobrunneis. Stipite 15-35 x 1-2(3) mm, fusoideo, radicato, pileo concolori vel pallidiori, sicco. Odore saporeque raphanoideo. Sporis 6-7 x 3.5-4 µm, subamygdaliformibus, asperulatis, ferrugıneis. Cystidiis 20-30 x 2-3 µm, filiformibus. Epicute e hyphis cylindraceis cutem formantibus, septis fibulatis. Ad terram in silvis nothofagineis. Novazelandia.

From the microscopic point of view (spores, cheilocystidia) this species resembles Ph. yenniae (Karsten) (= Ph. cidaris [Fr.] ss. Kuhner & Romagnesi 1957: 48; ss. Moser 1967) but the habit of the N.Z. fungus is much more delicate and its stipe is fusoid rather than gradually tapering towards the base.
Ph. minuta Hk. represents by far the smallest member presently known in the genus Phaeocollybia. The pileus does not exceed 15 mm in diameter. Another outstanding character of this taxon are the clamp connections which occur on all septae of the cuticular hyphae. Except for Ph. radicata (Murrill) Singer and Ph. amazonica Singer clamp connections are absent in all other species of Phaeocollybia.

Holotypus (PDD 27099): 'Milford Sound, N.Z.; leg. Horak, 1.IV.1969'.