TUBER NITIDUM Vittadini
Monographia Tuberacearum 48, Tab. II fig. X, Tab. V fig. III (1831)
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Synonyms:
Tuber requienii Tul. et C. Tul. var. stramineum Ferry & Quél (1888), C.R. Ass. franc. Av. Sci. 16(2):590
Tuber rufum Pico subsp. nitidum (Vit.) E. Fisher (1897), Ascomyceten: Tuberaceen und Hemiasceen 59
Tuber malacodermum E. Fischer (1923), Verh. Naturf. Ges. Basel 35(1): 49, f. 9
Tuber vacini Velenovský (1947) Opera Botanica Cechica 4:96, Tab. I, f. 27
Tuber rufum Pico forma nitidum (Vit.) Montecchi & Lazzari (1993), Atlante Fotografico di Funghi Ipogei (Trento): 197 (1993)
Tuber candidum Harkn., Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci., Ser. 3, Bot. 1: 274 (1899)
Macroscopic characters:
Ascomata: hypogeous, subglobose or irregular in shape, often with a very tight basal cavity, groove-shaped, 1–3.5 cm across, ochre-brown, smooth to subpapillose, somewhat pruinose.
Gleba: hard, solid; whitish at first, then light brown, darkening at maturity, marbled with two types of numerous, thin, branching veins: one type dark-coloured and containing no air (venae lymphaticae, veines aquifères of Tulasne, venae internae of Vittadini), the other white and air-bearing (air-veins, veines aérifères, venae externae).
Odour: strong, truffle-like, sometimes garlicky. Readily detected by truffle dogs, the truffle beetle (Leiodes cinnamomea) and truffle flies (Suillia spp.)
Taste: faint, not very persistent, nutty.
Habitat
A widespread species associated with deciduous trees and conifers, ripening in late spring, though it can be found year-round. Collected under holm oaks, in calcareous soils, in sunnier and drier situations than Tuber rufum, often sharing habitat with Tuber aestivum and Tuber panniferum.
Notes:
Tuber nitidum is not accepted by all authors, some of whom regard it as a variety or form of Tuber rufum. Although Tuber nitidum has a smooth peridium, unlike the warted and areolate peridium of Tuber rufum, there is no microscopic difference between the two species.
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Microscopic characters:
Asci: subglobose to broadly clavate or pyriform, long- or short-stalked, 50–85 × 45–65 µm excluding stalk, 1–4 (–5)-spored.
Ascospores: 20–30 (–37) × 16–22 (–26) µm excluding ornament, size variable depending on the number of spores per ascus, Q range = 1.15–1.40, broadly ellipsoid to ovate-ellipsoid, ochre-yellow, translucent, ornamented with isolated conical spines 2–3 µm long.
Peridium: 300–400 µm thick, composed of agglutinated, interwoven hyphae.
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