Desert Truffles

Abstract

Desert truffles are nutritious hypogeous mushrooms exhibiting unusual biological features. They are mycorrhizal and may form either or both of two main types of associations, ecto- or endomycorrhizae. These fungi inhabit sandy soils and require little water. Desert truffles have been collected from the wild by desert dwellers from early stages of civilization. With the exception of some Tuberaceae family members, truffle members of the order Pezizales have been rather neglected by science. Efforts at their cultivation are being undertaken, and this paper will review much of what is currently known of these mysterious and fascinating desert fungi.