The presence of clamp connections, the coarsely warted, sublimoniform spores with a beak-like mucro are characteristic (see below). It is the largest Phaeocollybia in Costa Rica. Originally found in the Cordillera Talamanca (where it still exists in forests of Quercus seemannii Q. rapurahuensis and Q. copeyensis), the species is also known as far south as Andean Colombia near Pasto (under Q. humboldtii). It will often appear in small groups. Descriptions can be found in Mycol. Helvetica 2: 250-251. 1987, and Mycologia 83: 468-470. 1991.