Psathyrella echinata is a short-lived wood-rotting fungus found densely gregarious on rotting wood, notable when young because the incurved red-brown caps are covered with obvious light-coloured spiny bundles of fibrillose spines (Gk; echinos = hedge-hog, i.e. spiny); upon ageing the spines fall off, perhaps leaving small scales, and the fungi are harder to identify. Caps to 20 mm, reddish-brown fading to light brown; globular when young, opening to convex then almost flat, with an umbo; pale remnants of veil around incurved margin. Gills close, brown, then dark brown; spore print dark brown. Stem 30x4 mm, pale red-brown, often curved, covered with tufted fibrils, shedded starting from the apex; white mycelium tufts near base. NB: This fungus is hygrophanous, i.e., the colour lightens as it dries out in drier weather. Day's Picnic Ground, Mt Macedon, 2009.