Podoserpula pusio var. tristis is a dark, slender, tiered form of the pagoda fungus, represented by numerous collections in the PDD National Fungal Herbarium. It forms stacked, pagoda‑like tiers, but is typically darker, narrower, and more deeply lobed than the typical P. pusio. The tiers are often more irregular, and the overall fruitbody is more elongated, giving it a “somber” appearance - the origin of the epithet tristis. Often fruits in clusters, sometimes intermixed with typical P. pusio.

Fruitbody: tiered, with 3-10+ stacked lobes; overall height 20-100 mm, but often more slender than P. pusio.
Tiers: deeply lobed, often irregular; margins wavy or crenulate; colours dark buff, brown, or umber, darker than typical P. pusio.
Upper surface: smooth to finely tomentose; often darker toward the centre.
Underside: smooth, sometimes faintly wrinkled; no pores or gills.
Central axis: short, sometimes visible between tiers; tiers radiate outward.
Texture: firm, leathery; persistent.