Small earthstar with narrow rays and a distinct slender stalk; NZ lineage resembling G. tenuipes but genetically distinct.

Basidiome (immature):Subglobose, 1-2.5 cm diam., pale brown to buff. Outer peridium smooth to slightly powdery. Often partially buried in leaf litter or humus.
Basidiome (mature):When expanded, 3-6 cm across, with the exoperidium splitting into 6–10 narrow rays.
Rays: Narrow, thin, and sharply pointed - the most distinctive feature. Inner surface pale buff, smooth or faintly fibrous. Outer surface brown, smooth to slightly granular, not velvety (separates it from velutinum aff.). Rays reflex strongly, often lifting the spore sac well above the substrate.
Spore sac: Small, typically 1-1.5 cm diam. Smooth, grey-brown to fawn. Apex with a simple, fibrillose peristome, sometimes slightly raised but never forming a collar. Gleba white when young, becoming dark brown and powdery at maturity.
Stalk: A distinct slender stalk (the "tenui-pes" character). Typically 3-10 mm long, thin, and pale. Lifts the spore sac above the rays, giving the fruitbody a delicate, elevated appearance. This stalk is the primary diagnostic feature of the species.