Secotioid fungi are an intermediate growth form between mushroom-like hymenomycetes and closed bag-shaped gasteromycetes, where an evolutionary process of gasteromycetation has started but not run to completion. Secotioid fungi may or may not have opening caps, but in any case they often lack the vertical geotropic orientation of the hymenophore needed to allow the spores to be dispersed by wind, and the basidiospores are not forcibly discharged or otherwise prevented from being dispersed —note—some mycologists do not consider a species to be secotioid unless it has lost ballistospory.
A truffle is the fruiting body of a subterranean ascomycete fungus, predominantly one of the many species of the genus Tuber. In addition to Tuber, over one hundred other genera of fungi are classified as truffles including Geopora, Peziza, Choiromyces, and Leucangium. These genera belong to the class Pezizomycetes and the Pezizales order. Several truffle-like basidiomycetes are excluded from Pezizales, including Rhizopogon and Glomus. Truffles are ectomycorrhizal fungi, so they are usually found in close association with tree roots. Spore dispersal is accomplished through fungivores, animals that eat fungi. These fungi have significant ecological roles in nutrient cycling and drought tolerance.
The Boletales are an order of Agaricomycetes containing over 1300 species with a diverse array of fruiting body types. The boletes are the best known members of this group, and until recently, the Boletales were thought to only contain boletes. The Boletales are now known to contain distinct groups of agarics, puffballs, and other fruiting-body types.
The Hymenogastraceae is a family of fungi in the order Agaricales with both agaric and false-truffle shaped fruitbodies. Formerly, prior to molecular analyses, the family was restricted to the false-truffle genera. The mushroom genus Psilocybe in the Hymenogastraceae is now restricted to the hallucinogenic species while nonhallucinogenic former species are largely in the genus Deconica classified in the Strophariaceae.
Royoungia is a fungal genus in the family Boletaceae. This genus is represented by the type species Royoungia boletoides, which was found in Australia. In 2016, 5 more species were found in China.
Ruhlandiella is a genus of fungi within the family Pezizaceae. Ruhlandiella species are exothecial hypogeous fungi, which are essentially truffles that lack the outer layer or peridium. Ruhlandiella species are widely distributed in Nothofagaceae forests in South America and near Eucalyptus or Melaleuca plants in Australia, North America, and Europe.
Spongiforma thailandica is a species of fungus in the family Boletaceae, genus Spongiforma. The stemless sponge-like species, first described in 2009, was found in Khao Yai National Park in central Thailand, where it grows in soil in old-growth forests. The rubbery fruit body, which has a strong odor of coal-tar similar to Tricholoma sulphureum, consists of numerous internal cavities lined with spore-producing tissue. Phylogenetic analysis suggests the species is closely related to the Boletaceae genera Porphyrellus and Strobilomyces.
Fevansia is a fungal genus in the family Albatrellaceae. A monotypic genus, it contains the single rare truffle-like species Fevansia aurantiaca, found in old-growth forests of Oregon. The name Fevansia honors Frank Evans of the North American Truffling Society, who collected the holotype specimen. Aurantiaca is Latin for "pale orange", referring to the color of the peridium.
The gasteroid fungi are a group of fungi in the Basidiomycota. Species were formerly placed in the obsolete class Gasteromycetes Fr., or the equally obsolete order Gasteromycetales Rea, because they produce spores inside their basidiocarps rather than on an outer surface. However, the class is polyphyletic, as such species—which include puffballs, earthstars, stinkhorns, and false truffles—are not closely related to each other. Because they are often studied as a group, it has been convenient to retain the informal (non-taxonomic) name of "gasteroid fungi".
Austropaxillus is a genus of fungi in the family Serpulaceae, containing nine species found in Australia, New Zealand and South America.
Gymnopaxillus is a genus of fungi in the family Serpulaceae. According to the Dictionary of the Fungi, the family contains four species found in temperate South America and Australia. Gymnopaxillus was circumscribed by mycologist Egon Horak in 1966 with G. morchelliformis as the type species. G. crubensis, described from Argentina, was added in 1989, while the Australasian species G. nudus and G. vestitus were added to the genus in 2001.
Reddellomyces is a genus of truffle-like fungi in the Tuberaceae family. The genus, circumscribed in 1992, contains four species found in Australasia and the Mediterranean.
Andebbia is a fungal genus in the family Mesophelliaceae. The genus is monotypic, containing the single truffle-like species Andebbia pachythrix, found in Australia.
Chondrogaster is a genus of truffle-like fungi in the Mesophelliaceae family. The genus, described by French mycologist René Maire in 1926, contains two species, the type Chondrogaster pachysporus, and Chondrogaster angustisporus, described in 2000. Collectively, Chondrogaster is found in Mauritania, Brazil, and Europe.
Gummiglobus is a genus of truffle-like fungi in the Mesophelliaceae family. The genus contains Australian two species described as new to science in 1996. The species, G. agglutinosporus and G. joyceae, "have columellae with wedge-shaped to digitate or strand-like projections that extend to the endocutis of the peridium and are embedded in a remarkable gummy tissue".
Malajczukia is a genus of truffle-like fungi in the Mesophelliaceae family. The genus contains eight species found in Australia and New Zealand.
Mesophellia is a genus of truffle-like fungi in the Mesophelliaceae family. The genus contains about 15 species that are found in Australia. Mesophellia was circumscribed by Miles Joseph Berkeley in 1857.
James Martin Trappe is a mycologist and expert in the field of North American truffle species. He has authored or co-authored 450 scientific papers and written three books on the subject. MycoBank lists him as either author or co-author of 401 individual species, and over the course of his career he has helped guide research on mycorrhizal fungi, and reshaped truffle taxonomy: establishing a new order, two new families, and 40 individual genera.
Solioccasus is a fungal genus in the family Boletaceae. It is a monotypic genus, containing the single Australasian species Solioccasus polychromus. This is a truffle-like species with a roughly spherical to lobed fruitbody, which measures up to 4.5 cm (1.8 in) in diameter. It is initially dull white, but becomes yellow to pink to orange to red in maturity, making it one of the most brightly colored hypogeous species known.
Dr Teresa Lebel is a taxonomist and ecologist who works on fungi, with a particular interest in subterranean truffle-like fungi and their mushroom, bolete, bracket or cup relatives.
