Both the sclerotium and the fruiting bodies are edible. He placed the species in the old form genus "Sclerotium", naming it Sclerotium rolfsii. The fruiting bodies then emerge from the sclerotium. The stems originate from a yellowish-brown sclerotium that is up to long. The stems originate from a dark reddish-brown sclerotium of variable shape, typically measuring by . The presence of this sclerotium can only be seen when the mushroom sprouts. Later, the sphacelia convert into a hard dry sclerotium inside the husk of the floret. It is, however, not a species of "Sclerotium" in the strict sense. A resting state, the so-called sclerotium, may occur in this phase. At this stage, alkaloids and lipids accumulate in the sclerotium. The black sclerotium has been shown to contain large concentrations of melanin. Other taxa in this clade include "Plicaturopsis" and "Sclerotium rolfsii". The sclerotium is an overwinter structure, which contains ergot alkaloids. At this stage, alkaloids and lipids (e.g. ricinoleic acid) accumulate in the Sclerotium. Melanized sclerotium allows "Botrytis cinerea" to survive for years in the soil.