Truffle Genus: Endogone
 Endogone flammicorona zygospore Scale = 50 µm |
Kingdom: Fungi Phylum: Zygomycota Order: Endogonales Family: Endogonaceae |
Spore Characters
Surface: Smooth or enclosed within a mantle of tightly adherent hyphae.
Shape and Size: Ellipsoid to globose or irregular, when smooth 27-150 x 27-120 µm, when mantled by adherent hyphae 41-200 x 52-150 µm (excluding the adherent hyphae).
Wall: One to 2-layered, 2-11 µm thick (excluding the adherent hyphae).
Color in Water: Hyaline to yellow to brown.
Melzer's Reaction: Mostly not distinctive, but in some species one or more layers becoming dextrinoid.
Comments: The large, smooth or hypha-mantled spores of Endogone species separate them readily from all others except Glomus species. Endogone spores either show no attachments by maturity or have two, depending on species and developmental stage. Glomus spores of species included in the key have one attachment.
View photos of Endogone spores
Sporocarp Characters
Shape and Size: Subglobose to irregular, 3-20 mm in diameter.
Peridium: Absent or, when present, white to bright yellow or brown, smooth to felty to cottony.
Gleba: Solid gray to bright yellow or brown.
Odor: Garlicky or not distinctive.
View photos of Endogone sporocarps