Truffle Genus: Balsamia
 Balsamia magnata ascospore |
Kingdom: Fungi Phylum: Ascomycota Order: Pezizales Family: Helvellaceae |
Spore Characters
Surface: Smooth or, in one species, with nearly submicroscopic peripheral lines.
Shape and Size: Ellipsoid to subcylindric, 13-42 x 10-21 µm; no attachment.
Wall: Single, +/- 1 µm thick.
Color in Water: Hyaline.
Melzer's Reaction: Not distinctive.
Comments: Spores of some Balsamia spp. are difficult to differentiate from those of Barssia and Geopora species. Barssia occurs only in spring and early summer, so it is eliminated from consideration of autumn or winter specimens. Geopora species have spore walls one or more micron thick, rather thicker than those of most Balsamia species.
View photos of Balsamia spores
Sporocarp Characters
Shape and Size: Subglobose to irregular, with an apical or lateral cavity, 1-4 cm in diameter.
Peridium: Verrucose, the warts small and rounded to prominent and angular, brown to orange-brown or black, often with a basal tuft of mycelium.
Gleba: Solid white to pale yellow, with narrow, meandering, open or hypha-stuffed veins or labyrinthine chambers that generally radiate from the sporocarp cavity.
Odor: Not distinctive to pungent or garlicky.
View photos of Balsamia sporocarps