Holotype (PDD 27071); Isotype (Herb. HK. ZT 69/297: 'Tophouse Saddle, Prov. Nelson, N.Z.; leg. Horak, 5.V.1969'.

Pileus 15-30 mm diam., convex to umbonate, date brown to umber brown, glutinous when wet, covered with numerous, small, ochraceous squamules swimming in the slime. Lamellae waxy, straminous, turning ochraceous, adnexed, ventricose, gill edge concolorous, even. Stipe 35-55 x 34 mm, cylindric, equal or subfusoid, whitish or brownish, densely covered with dry, ochraceous longitudinal fibrils becoming squarrose towards the base, cortina absent, single, hollow. Context brown. Odor and taste not distinctive. Chemical reactions on pileus: KOH, HCl and NH₃ - negative.
Spore print ochraceous-brown. Spores 12-14.5 x 7-8 µm, ellipsoid, ferruginous, densely covered with isolated warts; germ pore or plage absent. Basidia 35-45 x 10-12 µm, 4-spored. Cystidia lacking. Cuticle consisting of strongly gelatinized, densely woven, cylindric, hyaline hyphae (2-6 µm diam.) forming an ixocutis, subcutis subcellular, membranes encrusted with brown pigment. Clamp connections numerous

Amongst litter under Nothofagus fusca and N. menziesii. New Zealand

Pileo 15-30 mm lato, e convexo umbonato, obscure brunneo, glutinoso, squamis ochraceis in glutine instructo, estriato. Lamellis adnexis, primo stramineis dein brunnescentibus. Stipite 35-55 x 3-4 mm, cylindraceo, aequali, brunneolo, squamis fibrillosis ochraceisque dense obtecto, sicco, velo nullo. Sporis 12-14.5 x 7-8 µm, ovato-ellipticis, verrucosis, ferrugineis. Basidiis 4-sporigeris. Epicute ex hyphis gelatinosis ixodermium formantibus, septis fibulatis. Ad terram in silvis nothofagineis. Novazelandia

This species is easily recognized by its glutinous pileus and the deep brown colours. In spite of the wax-yellow lamellae and the lack of a marginate bulb on the stipe this taxon undoubtedly belongs to the genus Cuphocybe. Aged carpophores resemble macroscopically Descolea phlebophora Horak or Descolea gunnii (Berkeley).

Holotypus (PDD 27071): 'Tophouse Saddle, Prov. Nelson, N.Z.; leg. Horak, 5.V.1969'