A small brown hedgehog fungus with applanate to deeply depressed caps, long crowded fawn-pink spines, and a sordid white to pinkish-fawn stipe.

Cap: 10-35(-55) mm diam., applanate or centrally depressed at maturity, occasionally with a deep central excavation. Colour brown, dark brown, or dark reddish brown; surface sometimes rupturing to expose the sordid white context beneath.
Gills: pallid fawn, drying greyish orange. Spines non-decurrent, but reaching the stipe, to 10 mm long, crowded, pallid fawn with pinkish tints.
Stipe:central, occasionally eccentric or lateral, 2-4 cm long, 4-12 mm diam., sordid white, creamy brown, or pallid pinkish fawn; flesh concolorous with exterior.