Pileus 5-10 x 3-8 mm when still closed, up to 20 mm when expanded, first conical-ellipsoid or conical, rounded at apex and whitish with pale brown, ochre centre. Veil breaking up in ochre-brown patches, becoming paler with age. Lamellae, L = 32-40(-50), l =0-3, crowded, free, first white, then grey to blackish. Stipe up to 60 x 1-2 mm, white, greyish white, somewhat floccose at base.
  Spores [620,31,31] 6.1-10.2 x 5.0-7.9 µm, medium dirty red-brown, broadly ellipsoid, ellipsoid, ovoid or slightly rhomboid, rounded at apex with central, c. 1.5 µm wide germ pore; Q = (1.05-)1.15-1.55, av. Q = 1.25-1.40; av. L = 7.0-8.9, av. B = 5.4-6.8 µm. Basidia 18-32 x 9-11 µm, 4-spored, surrounded by 4-7 pseudoparaphyses. Pleurocystidia 60-120 x 10-27 µm, (sub)cylindrical or narrowly utriform. Cheilocystidia 30-80 x 7-22 µm, similar to pleurocystidia. Elements of veil thick-walled, multiple-branched and diverticulate, 3-8 µm wide; thickness walls up to 1.5 µm, distinctly yellow, very clear in microscope; excrescences up to c. 20 µm in length. Clamp-connections present.

Habitat & distribution

  Solitary or a few together; on wood, especially dead branches, also found on herbs and grasses. Rather common. Widespread in Europe.

Remarks

  Coprinus pseudofriesii is characterised by the slightly thick-walled veil (up to 1.5 µm wide), the ellipsoid, ovoid or rhomboid spores up to c. 9 or 10 µm in length and the rather large basidiocarps. Coprinus pseudofriesii differs from C. friesii by the larger basidiocarps, the generally lignicolous habitat and less thick walls of velar elements, and from C. phaeosporus by the not distinctly lentiform, more ellipsoid spores with central germ pore. Coprinus xantholepis has much larger cystidia.