In the family Gomphaceae of the order Gomphales, this species is one of the most handsome and distinctive of all forest fungi. It prefers growth under fir and hemlock and can grow to 35-40cm tall and 25-35 cm across. Like its better known cousin the orangish scaly vase fungus, it is edible for some people but causes indigestion in others. It is deeply funnel-shaped with a creamy to tan surface and scales that are prominent, upright and densest centrally. They are brown to tan or even oragish-brown. The undersurface is dense with veins in the form of wrinkles and folds that may fork and connect to one another. The surface is usually creamy in color. There is no true transition from stalk to cap. The fungus grows scattered or in loose small groups in the duff and moss of the forest floor.