| Tuber lyonii |
| Found by a reliable collector (R. Mower) and identified as Tuber lyonii, which was confirmed by Dr. Matt Trappe of the North American Truffling Society. Found in Monroe County, Indiana; June; in soil near oak trees. As far as I know (which isn't very far), this is the first report of a truffle found in Indiana. Called the Pecan Truffle because it grows in abundance in pecan orchards of Georgia and Texas; also grows under other hardwood trees. This truffle belongs to the same genus (Tuber) as the culinary-famed black and white truffles of Europe. The pecan truffle, although not as highly regarded as the European truffles, has excellent flavor. Well worth seeking out (like a lot of things in life). |
| Spores are produced within round sacks called asci. |
| See Field Guide to North American Truffles, Trappe, et el., 2007, p. 104. |
| See also Fact Sheet at University of Georgia |
| The Pecan Truffle. Images show good color depiction of outer skin (peridium); shades of brown, reddish brown, black blotches. White furrows. Irregularly lobed. Inner flesh (gleba) translucent white when immature; brownish when mature; marbling appearance. |
| Looking for truffles in Indiana; we founds some nice rocks, no truffles. If you know where some pecan trees grow, which are native to Indiana, but rare, look under them for these little known Indiana fungi. Truffles grow under ground and rely on animals, often squirrels, to eat them in order to spread the spores. So, if you see a squirrel eating a truffle - chase him! (Or check the spot where he was digging.) |
| Spores are round, sometimes almond shaped; spiny and netted. Average length and width 30-37 x 22-24 microns. |
| A Paul Stamets video on truffles: |
| Pecan (Carya illinoinensis) at MushroomExpert.Com |