Brown, rubbery, mushroom, cup-shaped when young, often flattening to platter-shaped with age, 1 to 6 inches across. Grows on rotting wood, or soil rich in decomposing wood. Fruits in late spring to early summer.

Known throughout North America. Look for it in areas rich in decaying wood.

There are many species of nondescript brown cup fungi, but this is the most commonly noticed in the spring and early summer. Fall brown cup, (P. badia) is almost identical, except for microscopic characters, but it only fruits in the fall. It has not yet been reported in Wildwood.