On the type of Coprinus geesterani Uljé
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Original description
Coprinus geesterani Uljé, spec. nov. - Figs. 1-11
Pileus ad 27 mm latus, initio albus, postea griseus vel griseo-brunneus, velo adpresse flbrilloso vel floccoso-squarroso, albo vel griseo-brunneo obtectus. Lamellae (L = 34-40,1 = 0-3) liberae, paulum confertae, initio albae, mox griseae vel nigricantes. Stipes 15-45 x 1-2 mm, sursum subattenuatus, basi clavata vel subbulbosa, cavus, albus, omnino fibrilloso-floccosus.
Sporae 5.6-10.6 x 4.3-7.1 µm, ellipsoideae, submitriformes vel subrhombiformes, ad basim saepe sub-conicae. Basidia 4-spora. Cheilocystidia 25-105 x 12-40 µm, vesiculosa, ellipsoidea oblonga clavata vel utriformia. Pleurocystidia 70-125 x 22-33 µm, elongate ellipsoidea, ovoidea vel fusiformia. Suprapellis constans ex hyphis repentibus, filiformibus. Velum cellulis elongatis catenulatis, 20-150 x 5-40 µm metientibus, compositum. Fibulae adsunt. Typus: 'Netherlands, prov. Zuid-Holland, Alphen a/d Rijn, 4.VII.1990, C.B. Ulje 1078 (L)'. Closed pileus up to 9 x 8 mm, ellipsoid, cylindric-ellipsoid, ovoid or (sub)globose, often somewhat conical, white in very young stage, soon becoming grey or grey-brown, the darkest (Mu. 5 YR 2.5/1, 3/2; 10 YR 3/2) at centre of pileus, expanding to campanulate or conical, then to convex or applanate, finally plano-concave with revolute margin, up to 27 mm in diam. when mature, very thin, soon wilting. Veil in primordia smooth, mat, pure white, later grey to grey-brown, covering entire pileus, soon radially splitting into hairy to fibrillose, often pointed and adpressed or - especially at centre - recurving flocks. Lamellae free, narrow, rather crowded, first white, soon grey to blackish; L = 34-40,1 = 0-3. Stipe 15-45 x 1-2 mm, whitish, somewhat tapering towards apex, up to 3 mm wide at clavate to slightly bulbous base, hollow, hairy flocculose over the whole surface but particularly densely at lower part, becoming glabrous with age.
Spores [240, 12, 8] 5.6-10.6 x 4.3-7.1 µm (L x B), av. L = 6.6-9.2, av. B = 4.8-6.5 µm, Q = 1.15-1.70, av. Q = 1.35-1.45, red-brown under microscope, ellipsoid to ovoid tending to mitriform or rhomboid, towards base often slightly conical; germ pore central, 1-1.5 µm wide. Basidia 18-32 x 7-11 µm, 4-spored. Pseudoparaphyses (3-)4-5(-6) per basidium. Cheilocystidia in very young pileus vesiculose (Fig. 8), then rather elongate (Fig. 5) and ellipsoid, clavate, narrowly (conico-)utriform or oblong, 25-105 x 12-40 µm, the narrowly utriform ones 7-12 µm in diam. below apex. Pleurocystidia 70-125 x 22-33 µm, elongate-ellipsoid to ovoid, oblong or narrowly fusiform, the latter 7-13 µm wide below apex. Pileipellis consisting of short, inflated cells, covered with a thin layer of filamentous hyphae. Veil made up of hyphae consisting of sausage-like cells, 20-150 x 5-40 µm, often somewhat inflated, usually constricted at septa. Clamp-connections present.
H a b i t a t. - Solitary or (sub)fasciculate on soil mixed with pieces of wood, on decaying wood-chips and on composted vegetable refuse. Rather common.

Collections examined. - NETHERLANDS: prov. Zuid-Holland: Alphen a/d Rijn: 22 May 1988, Ulje 902; 17 May 1990, Ulje 1065; 7 June 1990, Ulje 1069; 4 July 1990, Ulje 1078 (type); 10 July 1990, Ulje 1087; Ter Aar: 24 Oct. 1986, Ulje 804; 3 Sept. 1986, Ulje 830; Boskoop, 12 June 1990, Ulje 1074.

Coprinus geesterani is characterized by small fruit-bodies and ellipsoid to ovoid spores tending to mitriform or rhomboid shapes, on the average less than 10 µm long. Except the size of the basidiocarps species in subsection Lanatuli are macroscopically very similar. Therefore, microscopical characters are the most important for determinations. In C. geesterani the size and the shape of the spores are very useful. Small spores with an average length less than 10 u.m are found only in C. pseudoradiatus Kiihn. & Joss. ex Watling (1976: 154) and C. lagopides Karst. (1879: 23). Coprinus pseudoradiatus (Kuhner & Josse-rand, 1944: 26), however, has predominantly cylindric-ellipsoid spores, with a rounded, never somewhat conical base, much shorter cystidia, somewhat smaller fruit-bodies, and grows on dung. Coprinus lagopides has spores similar in shape and size to those of C. geesterani (although usually slightly broader), but that species has much larger fruit-bodies and grows generally gregariously on burnt ground.
The spore sizes of C. geesterani show a great deal of variation. Although spores can measure up to 8-10 x 5-7 µm, in most collections they do not exceed 8.5 µm in length. The sizes found in the collections examined are:

Coll.	Spore-size, length x breadth	Quotient	Av.L	Av.B	Germ pore
804	7.2-9.0 x 5.2-6.1	1.36-1.42-1.52	8.2	5.8	c. 1.5 µm
830	5.6-8.2 x 4.3-5.4	1.16-1.42-1.62	7.0	5.0	c. 1.0 µm
902	7.0-9.5 x 5.1-6.8	1.30-1.36-1.42	8.1	6.0	c. 1.3 µm
1065	7.0-8.5 x 5.1-5.7	1.35-1.47-1.60	7.8	5.3	c. 1.0 µm
1069	8.4-10.6 x 5.8-7.1	1.30-1.46-1.69	9.2	6.5	c. 1.5 µm
1074	6.3-7.8 x 4.8-5.3	1.31-1.42-1.53	7.2	5.0	c. 1.0 µm
1078	5.7-7.2 x 4.3-5.0	1.21-1.37-1.45	6.6	4.8	c. 1.0 µm
1078	6.2-8.0 x 4.4-5.2	1.34-1.47-1.63	7.2	4.9	c. 1.0 µm
1078	6.8-8.2 x 4.8-5.4	1.36-1.47-1.58	7.4	5.1	c. 1.0 µm
1087	6.9-8.2 x 4.8-5.8	1.40-1.47-1.60	5.1	7.5	c. 1.0 µm
1087	6.8-8.0 x 4.7-4.6	1.41-1.47-1.54	7.5	5.1	c. 1.0 µm
1087	7.0-8.8 x 5.0-5.9	1.33-1.45-1.58	7.9	5.4	c. 1.0 µm

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