Macroscopic features

  Pileus 5-20 x 3-14 mm when still closed, expanded up to 35 mm in diam., first grey to grey-brown, later at centre becoming pale and greyish or yellowish grey-brown. Lamellae (number not noted) very crowded, white to dark grey-brown, finally black. Stipe up to 100 x 2-5 mm, white, hollow, hairy floccose, especially in lower part, and slightly broadening towards somewhat bulbous base.

Microscopic features

  Spores [160,8,7] (9.0-)9.7-14.0(-16.3) x 7.1-9.8(-10.4) µm; Q = 1.25-1.60, av. Q = 1.30-1.50; av. L = 10.6-13.3, av. B = 8.1-9.1 µm, broadly ellipsoid or ovoid with rounded base and apex, medium to dark red-brown, and central, c. 1.3 µm wide germ pore. Basidia 14-38 x 7-10 µm, 2-spored, surrounded by (3-)4-5(-6) pseudoparaphyses. Pleurocystidia 70-110 x 26-37 µm, elongate ellipsoid, ellipsoid or (sub)cylindric. Cheilocystidia 35-75 x 17-38 µm, (sub)globose, ellipsoid, ovoid, broadly subcylindric or slightly utriform. Veil made up of cylindrical, often inflate or fusoid elements, 40-280 x 4-40(-70) µm. Clamp-connections present.

Habitat & distribution

  Growing subfasciculate on sawdust and compost. Very rare. In the Netherlands only known from greenhouses.

Remarks

  The 2-spored basidia, hyphoid veil and its habitat on sawdust or compost make Coprinus scobicola easily to recognize. The only other species in subsect. Lanatuli with two-spored basidia, C. bicornis, differs by having a mixed veil with ellipsoid to subglobose elements, much smaller basidiocarps and growth on dung.
  The collections of J. Daams are labelled with the name C. bilanatus Kemp nom. prov. (Kemp 1975: 380) but these collections fit well with the type-material of C. scobicola.