A slender red waxgill with a brilliant vermilion to scarlet cap that fades to red-orange-yellow, a dry fibrillose to squamulose surface, and distant arcuate-decurrent lamellae that remain pale and concolorous at the edge. The absence of cystidia and the non-striate margin separate it from the red-edged Hygrocybe sp.

Pileus: to 30 mm, hemispherical-convex, soon expanded with flat to depressed centre; margin rarely upturned; brilliant red (vermilion, scarlet), fading to red-orange-yellow; dry; glabrous at first, becoming minutely to coarsely fibrillose or squamulose, scurfy; squamule tips concolorous; slightly hygrophanous; margin non‑striate.
Lamellae: 6-14(±1-3), distant, arcuate-decurrent, to 4 mm wide; apricot, pale yellow or pale orange; edges concolorous, entire.
Stipe: 20-70 x 1-2 mm, cylindrical, very slender, equal; concolorous with pileus, becoming pale orange-yellow at base; dry, glabrous; fistulose; single.
Context: red beneath cortex of pileus and upper stipe, otherwise pale orange.
Odour/tast: not distinctive.