Truffle Genus: Trappea
 Trappea darkeri basidiospore |
Kingdom: Fungi Phylum: Basidiomycota Order: Phallales Family: Trappeaceae |
Spore Characters
Surface: Smooth.
Shape and Size: Longitudinally symmetric, ellipsoid to oblong, 3-6 x 1-3.5 µm.
Wall: Single, less than 0.5 µm thick.
Color in Water: Hyaline to green-tinged.
Melzer's Reaction: Not distinctive.
Comments: Trappea species have the smallest spores of all the truffle-like fungi. The largest of the Trappea spores barely overlap in length with the smallest Rhizopogon species spores. The genus Protubera will key out with Trappea, but it is rare.
View photos of Trappea spores
Sporocarp Characters
Shape and Size: Subglobose to irregular, 1-5 cm in diameter, with one or several rhizomorphs emerging from the base.
Peridium: Generally thin, in one species evanescent, white but slowly becoming yellow-brown to pink where handled or exposed, with an underlying layer of sterile chambers.
Gleba: Olive to brown-olive, olive-green, dark green, or bright green. With small, empty chambers and a well-developed, dendroid, gelatinous to cartilaginous columella.
Odor: Not distinctive or of gasoline.
View photos of Trappea sporocarps