Species flashcards

Description

Description: Tuber-like underground mushroom species, but often surfaces.

Fruiting body: 3-10 (15) cm in diameter; tuber-like, irregularly spherical; its outer rind is thin, not crust-like, whitish ochre; surface smooth, uneven, sometimes cracked.

Hymenium: Located inside the fruiting body.

Flesh: Cheese-hard when young; whitish, ochre, becoming soft, pinkish-brown with age; smell initially pleasant, later disgusting, taste not characteristic.

Spore: Pale yellowish; 15-19 µm; spherical, hyaline (transparent) or slightly yellowish, with grooved surface.

Occurrence: From July to October, primarily in sandy acacia forests, growing underground, but the fruiting body often cracks the soil and emerges slightly to the surface. Quite common in some places in Hungary. Although it was first found in Italy, it is very rare there. Its main habitat is the Carpathian Basin, so the term Hungaricum fits this truffle best.

Edibility: Edible when young.

Confusion: Similar to the poisonous common earthball.

Note: DNA research shows that this species is monotypic. This means that only one species belongs to the genus. Traditional truffle markets are cautious about terfezia species anyway, and it is almost impossible to sell on foreign markets due to its unfamiliarity and unique flavor. Interestingly, its main habitats are acacia forests, and this plant was introduced to Hungary in the 18th century from the United States, where the terfezia truffle has not yet been found.

Species description: In 1887, the Italian Mattirolo described it as Choiromyces terfezioides. In 1897, Fischer placed it in the new Mattirolomyces genus, which was further divided into additional genera in 1971, so this species was placed in the terfezia genus.

Taxonomy

1. PhylumAscomycota
2. ClassPezizomycetes
3. OrderPezizales
4. FamilyTuberaceae
5. Genusmattirolomyces

• Species: terfezioides
• Described by:
• Hungarian name: homoki szarvasgomba
• Lifestyle: saprotroph
• Edibility: edible