Macroscopic features

  Pileus 5-15(-20) x 3-12 mm when still closed, subglobose, ellipsoid, oval or conical, up to 30 mm when expanded, white with ochre-brown, velvety scales, especially around disk. Lamellae, L = 32-38, l = 0-3, crowded, free, first white, then dark grey to blackish. Stipe up to 120 x 0.5-2 mm, white, greyish white, almost glabrous.

Microscopic features

  Spores [140,7,6] 5.5-8.0 x 4.7-7.0 x 4.4-6.1 µm, subglobose or ovoid, sometimes slightly the shape of a maize-kernel, often truncate, dark red-brown, not strongly but distinctly lentiform with slightly to rather strongly eccentric, sometimes central, c. 1.0-1.3 µm wide germ pore; Q = 1.03-1.30, av. Q = 1.08-1.19; av. L = 6.1-7.1, av. B = 5.3-6.3 µm. Basidia 14-28 x 7-9 µm, 4-spored, surrounded by 4-7 pseudoparaphyses. Pleurocystidia 50-100(-150) x 10-30 µm, oblong, (sub)cylindrical or subutriform. Cheilocystidia 30-100(-120) x 10-30 µm, oblong, utriform or subcylindrical. Elements of veil thick-walled, strongly multiple-branched and diverticulate, 2-10 µm wide; walls less than 1.5 µm thick, pale yellow-brown. Clamp-connections present.

Habitat & distribution

  In small groups on herbs and grasses. Rather common and widespread in Europe.

Remarks

  Type-studies have shown that Coprinus saichiae is very similar in all macro- and microscopical characters to C. phaeosporus, so they are considered synonymous.
  The subglobose, rather strongly lentiform spores which have in most cases a slightly to rather strongly eccentric germ pore, distinguish Coprinus phaeosporus from C. pseudofriesii and C. xantholepis, both of which have more broadly ellipsoid and somewhat larger, not distinctly lentiform spores. Only in C. xantholepis is the germ pore sometimes slightly lentiform.