Coprotus disculus
Anamorph: not known.
Teleomorph: ascomata apothecia, 350-500 µm diam., scattered to gregarious, sessile, at first ± globose and becoming pulvinate to discoid, initially white and translucent and becoming yellowish, with an undifferentiated margin, the hymenium granular due to protruding asci. Peridium composed of globose to angular cells to 20 µm diam. at the base, the marginal cells elongate, 8-12 x 6-10 µm, without carotenoid pigments in the cellular cytoplasm. Interascal tissue composed of septate, simple or basally branched filiform paraphyses 1.5-2 µm diam., the apices inflated (to 3-4 µm diam.), some irregularly curved at the apex, without cytoplasmic oil guttules. Asci 75-90 x 10-15 µm [94-126 x 11-18 µm: Doveri 2004], clavate to cylindric-clavate, the lower part attenuated but very short-stalked, not forked, the apices rounded, fairly thick-walled, no iodine reaction, 8- or rarely 4-spored. Ascospores uniseriately to biseriately arranged, 11.5-14 x 5-8 (-9) µm, ellipsoidal, aseptate, hyaline to pale yellow, smooth, thick-walled especially when immature, each with a de Bary bubble, without a gelatinous sheath or perispore.
Not formally assessed. Only reported from two GB&I collections and possibly rare, but more survey work is needed. The species should be assessed as Data Deficient.
The species is difficult to distinguish from Coprotus leucopocillum, which differs mainly in ascus dimensions. As the measurements cited by Kimbrough et al. (1972) and Doveri (2004) are rather different, more research into these taxa is needed.
In GB&I, reported from rabbit droppings. Elsewhere in Europe it has been reported from dung of other species, including cow,goat, roe deer and wild pig.
A vouchered collection from VC111 Orkney has been reported, reported also from VC110 Outer Hebrides.