Pileus: conical; 30 - 45 mm diameter;strongly fibrillose, dry; grey black thick fibres over a cream to pale yellow cuticle, margin splitting.

Stipe: cylindrical, twisted; 40- 60 × 5–9mm; strongly fibrillose; dry; fibres grey black over cream to pale yellow ground.

Gills: free; moderately crowded; white becoming grey; lamellulae in two series.

Flesh: cream, blackening.

Spore print: white.

Spores:not recorded.

Notes : this Hygrocybe does not readily fit any of the species in Horak or Young. It is closest to H. astatogala, but the cap colour is paler and the overlaying fibres much more pronounced so it may be a different species. Microscopic details of this collection were not checked so it is not possible to reach a determination.