Pileus ovoid to subglobose and up to 8 x 6 mm when still closed, expanding up to 16(-20) mm, white to cream, becoming sordid with age, entirely powdery but at margin somewhat hairy-floccose. Lamellae, L = 21-28, l = 0-3, free, first white but soon grey to spotted blackish, with white edge. Stipe c. 50 x 1.5 mm, attenuate upwards subbulbous at base, white-flocculose. Smell absent.
  Spores [140,7,4] 7.3-11.5 x 4.6-6.0 µm, Q = 1.60-2.05, av. Q = 1.70-1.90, av. L = 8.6-10.9, av. B = 5.0-5.8 µm, cylindrico-ellipsoid, but somewhat conical towards apiculus, red-brown under microscope, with central, up to 2 µm wide germ pore. Basidia 15-35 x 7-10 µm, 4-spored, surrounded by 3-5 pseudoparaphyses. Cheilocystidia up to 40(-50) µm long, with 7-15(-25) µm wide ventricose part and 4-10(-15) µm wide neck, utriform to more rarely lageniform or vesiculose, with more or less cylindrical neck and rounded apex. Pleurocystidia absent. Veil made up of colourless to slightly yellowish, smooth to granular, up to 50 µm wide, globose elements. Clamp-connections present.

Habitat & distribution

  Terrestrial on bare soil, sometimes on or against fallen branchlets. Not common.

Remarks

  Among the species of the C. cortinatus-group, C. candidatus is easily recognized by its utriform cheilocystidia and by its usually cylindrico-ellipsoid spores.