With fruit bodies ranging from 2-5 cm or occasionally a bit wider, this saprophytic ascomycete is found exclusively on wood or woody debris in conifer forests. It is most likely to be encountered in the late winter or spring. Caps take the form of cups or shallow goblets, with a smooth olivaceous to almost black surface. Margins are usually even and occasionally splitting but never ragged or scallped. Fruit bodies may appear singly or in groups. The undersurface is black and tomentose, featuring tiny coiled hairs. The stipe is black and may be short and knob-like to up to 3 cm long and 1 cm wide. There is no odor and the taste is mild. The flesh is tough and thin. It can be fairly common in westside lowlands or foothill conifer forests. It is not edible.