Hymenophore annual, compound, rosulate, caespitose, composed of numerous pilei (7-30) arising from a common mycelial base, or less frequently densely imbricate, to 5 cm. diameter. Pilei coriaceous to woody, fan-shaped, sometimes spathulate, to 3 cm. x 25 mm. x 2-5 mm., often laterally attached to one another, growing upright or laterally; surface fawn or bay-brown with umber zones, radiately striate, cuticle absent, replaced by imbricate parallel hyphae with pigmented walls; margin inturned, crenate, dentate; hymenial surface white or cream, sterile margin 2 mm. wide, even, dissepiments not toothed. Context white, of radiately arranged hyphae, 0.25-1.5 mm. thick; generative hyphae 5-6 µ thick, wall 1 µ, freely septate, sparsely branched, with abundant conspicuous clamp connections; numerous linear lactiferous ducts present. Pores to 1.5 mm. deep, in section white or cream, irregular in shape, round, elongated or angular, 100-250 µ diameter, or 3-4 per mm.; dissepiments 50-100 µ thick, of densely woven hyphae, equal, apex even. Basidial type clavate, basidia clavate, 10-12 x 4-5 µ. Spores broadly elliptical, oblong with rounded ends, or sometimes pip-shaped, 3.5-4 x 2-2.5 µ smooth, hyaline, abundant.

New Zealand.

Growing upon burnt wood, soil in the forest, or upon rotting logs and bases of stumps.

In its typical form the species differs from P. anthracophilus in the smaller, thinner, more flaccid pilei, smaller pores, different colour of pores and pilei, and smaller hyaline spores. Variations occur, however; for the Pukematawai specimens are not rosulate, but densely imbricated, and surfaces of pilei are delicately tomentose; specimens from Reefton, though rosulate. are more woody than the others, and have larger and more roughened pilei. They agree in spores and hyphal features.