Pileus up to 3-6 x 2-4 mm when still closed, up to 15 mm when expanded, subglobose, ellipsoid or ovoid-conical, very dark brown (sepia coloured) at centre, around centre white. Veil dark grey-brown (Mu. 7.5 YR 3/3; K. & W. 6F7), splitting up in minute, hairy-floccose scales. Lamellae, L = c. 32, l = 0-3, rather crowded, free, first white, then grey-brown, finally blackish. Stipe up to 40 x 1-2 mm, whitish, at base somewhat clavate and tomentose.
  Spores [120,6,5] 5.4-8.3 x 4.2-5.7 µm, ellipsoid or ovoid, often somewhat conical base and rounded apex, rather pale grey-brown (Mu. 10 YR 5/3), with central, c. 1.5 µm wide germ pore; Q = 1.20-1.75, av. Q = 1.30-1.55; av. L = 6.0-7.8, av. B = 4.5-5.3 µm. Basidia 12-30 x 7-9 µm, 4-spored, surrounded by (3-)4-6(-7) pseudoparaphyses. Pleurocystidia 60-110 x 10-30 µm, cylindrical, oblong or fusiform. Cheilocystidia 30-100 x 10-23 µm, ellipsoid, oblong, (sub)cylindrical, subutriform, fusiform or narrowly conical. Elements of veil thin- to slightly thick-walled (walls greyish brown in microscope), diverticulate, 2-7(-10) µm wide, slightly incrusted. Clamp-connections not found.

Habitat & distribution

  Solitary or a few together on dead branches of Salix. Very rare, so far only collected from one locality.

Remarks

  Coprinus urticicola var. salicicola differs from the typical variety mainly by the dark colour of the veil that also becomes slightly thick-walled, the grey-brown colour of the spores and the habitat on branches of Salix.