Macroscopic features

  Pileus 5-8 x 3-5 mm when still closed, ovoid or obtuse conical, whitish; expanded pileus up to 12 mm wide. Veil white, splitting up in small patches. Lamellae free, first whitish, then dark grey to blackish. Stipe up to 30 x 0.5-1 mm, white, grey-white, almost glabrous; base slightly clavate.

Macroscopic features

  Spores [80,2,2] 4.7-6.7 x 4.8-6.6 x c. 4.7 µm, globose, a few subglobose, medium greyish red-brown, with central, c. 1.3 µm wide germ pore; Q = 0.95-1.10, av. Q = 1.00-1.05; av. L = 5.3-6.4, av. B = 5.2-6.2 µm. Basidia 16-36 x 8.5-9 µm, 4-spored, surrounded by 4-7 pseudoparaphyses. Pleurocystidia 60-100(-165) x 14-26 µm, oblong or (sub)cylindrical. Cheilocystidia 45-100 x 14-23 µm, similar to pleurocystidia. Elements of veil thick-walled, multiple-branched and diverticulate, 2-7 µm wide; walls up to 1.5 µm thick in German collection, but in type up to 3 µm in places, pale grey yellowish. Clamp-connections present.

Habitat & Distribution

  Solitary on dead grasses. Very rare. Not known from the Netherlands. In addition to the type collection only one recent collection from Germany is known to us.

Remarks

  This species is characterized by the small, globose spores. The warty-like lumpy surface of the spores which was mentioned in the original description of the species, could not be observed in the holotype. The original description is based on only one specimen. The spores in the type specimen measure 4.7-5.7 x 4.8-5.7 µm; Q = 0.97-1.05, av. Q = 1.01; av. L = 5.3, av. B = 5.2 µm. On account of the presence of similar, small, globose spores the German collection has been included in C. herinkii, although there are some differences. The German collection has somewhat larger spores and the walls of the veil are less thick.