''Genea'' is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

truffle A truffle is the Sporocarp (fungi), fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, one of the species of the genus ''Tuber (fungus), Tuber''. More than one hundred other genera of fungi are classified as truffles including ''Geopora'', ''P ...

-like

fungi A fungus (: fungi , , , or ; or funguses) is any member of the group of eukaryotic organisms that includes microorganisms such as yeasts and mold (fungus), molds, as well as the more familiar mushrooms. These organisms are classified as one ...

in the family

Pyronemataceae The Pyronemataceae are a family of fungi in the order Pezizales. It is the largest family of the Pezizales, encompassing 75 genera and approximately 500 species. Phylogenetic analyses does not support the prior classifications of this family, an ...

. There are about 32 species in the genus that occur in North America and Europe. With the help of a trained dog, scientists discovered 2024 that there are probably still some non-descript species. Furthermore, these truffles seem to disappear completely from the fir-dominated forests for years after a forest fire. The genus was circumscribed by Italian mycologist

Carlo Vittadini Carlo Vittadini (11 June 1800, in Monticelli (San Donato Milanese), Monticelli 20 November 1865, in Milan) was an Italian physician, medical doctor and mycology, mycologist. Life He studied in Milan and at the University of Pavia, where he att ...

in 1831. The genus name of ''Genea'' is in honour of Carlo

Giuseppe Gené Carlo Giuseppe Gené (7 December 1800 – 14 July 1847) was an Italian natural history, naturalist and author. Gené was born at Turbigo in Lombardy and studied at the University of Pavia. He published a number of papers on natural history, part ...

(1800 - 1847), who was an Italian scientist (Zoology) and Professor of Zoology at the

Turin Museum of Natural History The Turin Museum of Natural History (Italian: ''Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali di Torino'' or MRSN) was established in 1978 to house the natural history collections of the University of Turin and other collections of natural history, origina ...

Selected species

* '' Genea anthracina'' * '' Genea balsleyi'' * '' Genea cazaresii'' * '' Genea eucalyptorum'' * '' Genea harknessii'' * ''

Genea hispidula ''Genea'' is a genus of truffle-like fungi in the family Pyronemataceae. There are about 32 species in the genus that occur in North America and Europe. With the help of a trained dog, scientists discovered 2024 that there are probably still so ...

'' * '' Genea klotzschii'' * '' Genea kraspedostoma'' * '' Genea papillosa'' * '' Genea pseudoverrucosa'' * '' Genea sphaerica'' * '' Genea subbaetica'' * '' Genea verrucosa''

References

Pyronemataceae Truffles (fungi) Pezizales genera {{Pezizomycetes-stub