Holotype (PDD 27062); Isotype (Herb. HK. ZT 67/103): 'Kowai Bush, Mt. Grey, Prov. Canterbury, N.Z.; leg. Benecke & Horak, 15.IX. 1967'.

Gastrocarp 30-55 x 30-50 mm, hemispherical or ovoid when young, later becoming pear-shaped, margin of peridium dehiscent from stipe and exposing gleba at maturity, dark brown, yellow towards the margin, viscid, smooth, without conspicuous veil remnants, peridium near apex about 4 mm thick. Gleba loculate, chambers up to 3 mm diam., irregularly arranged, rust brown to argillaceous. Stipe 35-70 x 10-15 mm, cylindrical, attenuated towards the apex (columella) and extending into the peridium, gleba around lower parts of columella partly dehiscent, white, becoming brown, dry, smooth, without veil remnants. Context orange brown at the base of stipe, dark brown in the peridium. Odor and taste unpleasant, like rotten fish or burnt horn. Chemical reactions on peridium unknown.
Spores 11-13.5 x 7-8 µm, elliptic to ovoid, verrucose, mostly axially symmetric but frequently also bilaterally symmetric, germ pore lacking, ferruginous. Basidia 36-50 x 10-12 µm, 4-spored. Cystidia absent. Epicutis consisting of interwoven, repent, slightly gelatinised hyphae (2-6 µm diam.), encrusted with brown pigment, membrane thin-walled; hyphae of subcutis short-cylindric, 10-20 µm diam., clamp connections rare but present.

On ground under Nothofagus cliffortioides and N. solandri. New Zealand.

Gastrocarpio 30-55 x 30-50 mm, hemisphaerico dein irregulariter ovoideo vel pyriforme, obscure brunneo marginem versus luteo, viscido, velo conspicuo nullo. Gleba lacunosa, haud gelatinosa, argillaceo-brunnea. Stipite 35-70 x 10-15 mm, cylindraceo, apicem versus (columella) attenuato, albo, brunnescente, sicco. Odore saporeque ingrato. Sporis 11-13.5 x 7-8 µm, ellipticis, verrucosis plus minusve axialiter symmetricis, ferrugineis. Basidiis 4-sporigeris. Cystidiis nullis. Epicute ex hyphis cylindraceis, hyalinis leviter gelatinosis cutem formantibus, pigmento brunneo incrustatis, septis fibuligeris. Ad terram in silvis nothofagineis. Novazelandia.

This species is recognised by its dark brown and yellow colouration, large fruitingbodies and the strong fish-like smell. The spores tend to be rather bilaterally symmetric. From the taxonomic point of view no close relatives are known.

Holotypus (PDD 27062): 'Kowai Bush, Mt. Grey N.Z.; leg. Benecke & Horak, l5.IX.1967'.