''Tuber macrosporum'', commonly known as the smooth black truffle, is a species of edible

truffle A truffle is the Sporocarp (veggie), fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, predominantly one of the many species of the genus ''Tuber (fungus), Tuber''. In addition to ''Tuber'', many other genera of fungi are classified as truf ...

in the family

Tuberaceae The Tuberaceae () are a family of mycorrhizal fungi in the order Pezizales, that evolved during or after the first major radiation of Angiosperms in the Jurassic period (140–180 million years ago, Mya). It includes the genus '' Tuber'', wh ...

. Found in Europe, and common in central Italy, the truffle was described as new to science by Italian mycologist

Carlo Vittadini Carlo Vittadini (11 June 1800, in Bertonico – 20 November 1865, in Milan) was an Italian doctor and mycologist. Life He studied in Milan and at the University of Pavia, where he attended the classes given by Giuseppe L. Moretti (1782–1 ...

in 1831. The truffles are roughly spherical to irregular in shape, and typically measure in diameter (rarely are they greater than ). The surface color ranges from reddish brown to rust to blackish. Warts on the fruit body surface are low, so that the truffle appears fairly smooth. The truffle

flesh Flesh is any aggregation of soft tissues of an organism. Various multicellular organisms have soft tissues that may be called "flesh". In mammals, including humans, ''flesh'' encompasses muscles, fats and other loose connective tissues, but ...

is purplish brown to grey-brown with thin white veins. It has an intense garlic-like odor similar to the Italian white truffle (''

Tuber magnatum ''Tuber magnatum'', the white truffle (Italian: ), is a species of truffle in the order Pezizales and family Tuberaceae. It is found in southern Europe. Distribution It is found mainly in the Langhe and Montferrat areas of the Piedmont region i ...

''). Host plants of ''T. macrosporum'' include poplars,

hazel The hazel (''Corylus'') is a genus of deciduous trees and large shrubs native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. The genus is usually placed in the birch family Betulaceae,Germplasmgobills Information Network''Corylus''Rushforth, K. (1999 ...

, linden, and

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

References

External links

* {{Taxonbar, from=Q4000112 Edible fungi Fungi described in 1831 Fungi of Europe macrosporum Truffles (fungi)

See also

References

External links