Closed pileus up to 7 x 4 mm, beautifully 'vermillon fauve en naissant', orange-brown, up to 13 mm wide when expanded. Lamellae narrowly adnate, first pale, later grey; L = ?, l = 1-3. Stipe 15-27 x 1-1.5 mm, whitish, pubescent, at base somewhat orange (from spherocysts).
  Spores 13.3-14.5 x 6.8-7.2 µm, ellipsoid; germ pore present, very distinct, probably central. Basidia 25-40 x 10-11 µm, 4-spored. Cheilocystidia numerous, lageniform, 50-60 x 18-22 µm, neck 7-9 µm wide. Pleurocystidia not mentioned. Spherocysts on pileipellis globose to ovoid, 12-40 µm wide. Pileocystidia not described. Sclerocystidia not noted. Caulocystidia lageniform, 70-90 x 16-20 µm with 8-10 µm wide neck. Velar spherocysts on pileipellis 12-40 µm in diam., globose. Clamp-connections present.
  Drawning copied from P. Heinemann & M. Josserand, BSMF 57: 47. 1941.

Habitat

  On muddy soil. Not known from the Netherlands. Very rare.

Remarks

  Coprinus dilectus is accepted here in the sense of Josserand. Because of its brief diagnosis C. dilectus sensu Fr. (1838: 250) may be almost every species of the 'Setulosi'.
  By the combination of the orange colour of the pileus, the presence of spherocysts on the pileipellis and particularly the size of the spores, this species is easy to recognize. In subsect. Setulosi only C. pyrrhanthes has the same pileus colour, but has much smaller spores (less than 11 ćm in length) and vesiculose cheilocystidia. Coprinus dilectus seems to be a very rare species. A good collection was not available; there- fore Josserand's description is reproduced here. Orton & Watling (1979: 84) described C. dilectus from only one location. Krieglsteiner & al. (1982: 82) described this species for the first time from West Germany.
  The position of the germ pore is not clear. Josserand (l.c.) describes it as very distinct but does not show it in his drawings and does not indicate its position. Orton & Watling (l.c.) say: 'germ pore central, sometimes indistinct'. Krieglsteiner & al. (l.c.) found it to be ń eccentric.
  Because Josserand does not mention the presence of pileocystidia, it is possible the C. dilectus sensu Joss. does not belong to the subsection Setulosi, although its other characters indicate that it does.