On the type of Coprinus tectisporus
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Original description
Coprinus tectisporus Van De Bogart in Mycotaxon 8: 276. 1979 (The genus Coprinus in Western North America, part 2: sect. Lanatuli). Holotype: North America: state Washington, Seattle, Mar. 1950, F. Van De Bogart 2171 (WTU).

Pileus at first long glandiform, then becoming conic, then campanulate and finally revolute. Prior to expansion 1.0-1.4 cm in lengt an after expansion 1.0 cm in breadth. Pale whitish at first then becoming grey with whitish scales, apex becoming dark grey. Fine plicate striations develop as pileus expands. Surface at first covered with a white fibrillose universal veil composed of parallel fibrils which soon breaks up into small, loose, white, recurved scales, exposing the smooth, glabrous surface. Flesh thin and fragile even at the apex. Stipe hollow, slender, 4.0-5.0 cm x 1.5-3.0 mm, enlarged at the base somewhat and inserted into substrate about 1.0 cm, tapering from base to apex, base ornamented with a ring of fibrils marking the site of attachment of the margin of the unexpanded pileus. Surface minutely fibrillose almost to apex, white and opaque. Flesh thin and fragile. Lamellae narrowly lanceolate, some lamellulae present, 0.4-1.3 cm x 3.0 mm, free and close to adnexed, extremely crowded at first, then less crowded as plicate striation develops when pileus expands, pale then deep purplish black. Autodigestion complete. Odor and taste not observed.
Spores ellipsoidal, round in cross-section, 10.9-15.0 x 7.5-8.8 µm, apiculus medium sized and generally visible, germ pore apical, 2.4-2.6 µm in diameter. Color en masse deep purplish black, microscopically deep purple to almost opaque black in 3% KOH. Walls thick 1.8-1.9 µm, smooth when first mounted in 3% KOH, then, after some minutes soaking and gentle pressure on the coverglass, a loose brownish perisporium may be dislodged. Basidia dimorphic, clavate and 18.0-23.0 x 10.0 µm, ululiform 28.0-31.5 x 10.0 µm, all four-spored. Cheilocystidia mostly globose but some ellipsoidal cells also present, globose and 18.5-39.0 µm in diameter, ellipsoidal and 40.0 x 20.0 µm, smooth, thin walled, hyaline. Pleurocystidia broadly ovate to ellipsoidal, very numerous, 77.5-137.5 x 42.5-55.0 µm hyaline, thin walled, smooth. No other cystidia present. Pileal surface of radially oriented cylindric hyphae. Universal veil present on pileus as scales composed of loosely aggregated chains of cells, and at the base of the stipe as a fringe of similar chains of cells. Most cells in each chain are swollen and constricted at the septa, some cells cylindrical and not swollen, all thin walled, smooth, hyaline, 37.5-313.0 x 5.0-52.5 µm. Clamp-connections present on universal veil, in lamellar trama, and a few in the stipe.
Habitat. Terrestrial, on soil mix in a greenhouse, solitary or in loose clusters.

The perisporium and thickness of the spore wall are distinctive features of this species.

Observations:
Spores [20,1,1] 12.1-15.1 x 7.9-9.0 µm, cylindrical ellipsoid or ellipsoid with rounded base and apex, and central, c. 1.8 µm wide germ pore, dark to very dark red-brown; episporium present; Q = 1.45-1.85, av. Q = 1.60; av. L = 13.3, av. B = 8.4 µm. Basidia 15-40 x 8-10.5 µm, 4-spored, surrounded by (3-)4-5(-6) pseudoparaphyses. Pleurocystidia 70-100 x 30-50 µm, ellipsoid, oblong, utriform or subcylindric. Cheilocystidia 60-90 x 32-45 µm, (sub)globose, ellipsoid or oblong. Pileipellis hyphoid, made up of mainly cylindrical hyphae. Veil made up of cylindrical, thin-walled elements, 40-150 x 10-50 µm, somewhat constricted at septa; terminal cells cylindrical with rounded or tapering apex. Clamp-connections not distinct.

Notes: The type collection of C. tectisporus is a rather good collection and exists of three young, two very young and some parts of old basidiocarps.
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