Fruiting body: long narrow inverted cone, but with great variation in shape,5 – 15 mm high ×4 - 8 mm wide at mouth, golden or russet brown, but blackening with age. Externally shaggy, sometimes with a tufted untidy appearance, may be smooth in old weathered specimens. Internally very smooth, lead grey or bluish-black.

Epiphram: conspicuous shaggy red brown cap over the fruiting body.

Peridioles: medium, 1 – 2  mm, lacks a tunica, in section shows a layered cortex, ±20, bluish-black.

Spores:

Notes: recognised by its shaggy external appearance, smooth shiny interior and its substrate on dung. This fungus has a worldwide distribution.