Tuber donnagotto, a new winter truffle species from Istria, Croatia

Tuber donnagotto is a new winter black truffle belonging to the order Pezizales and the family Tuberaceae. It grows in winter in the calcareous gravel soil (pH 7.6–7.8) near the Adriatic Sea (Rovinj, Istria, Croatia) in predominantly pine forests (Pinus halepensis). Although similar to other black truffles, it has very irregular and hard fruit bodies, lobate and knotted in form, with deep irregular cavities reaching the middle of the fruit bodies. These cavities are clearly evident in the cross-section of the fruit bodies. A distinctive characteristic of this truffle is the fact that when it is hermetically closed it can be kept in a refrigerator (2–4 °C) for more than 60 days. Tuber donnagotto has a slight but pleasant odor, reminiscent of boletus (Boletus reticulates, B. edulis). Furthermore, T. donnagotto has yellow-brownish and reticulate-alveolate spores, measuring 20–30 × 20–25 mm

biodiversity of hypogeous fungi in basilicata

During the last two decades, systematic studies were carried out on biodiversity of hypogeous fungi in forestry territories of the two Basilicata (southern Italy) provinces, Matera and Potenza. Identification of fungus taxa found in the region was commonly accomplished on the basis of macro- and microscopic features, and only in a few instances, molecular analyses were utilized. Thanks to these investigations, Basilicata now occupies, among Italian regions, the first and fourth positions for number of Tuber species, varieties or forms and total number of hypogeous fungi (Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Zygomycota) naturally growing in its woodlands and Mediterranean maquis areas. In fact, the last up-to-date acquirements on the topic bring up to 29 and 53 the number of Tuber taxa and that of the other hypogeous and semi-hypogeous (only three entities) fungi present in the region, respectively. In this chapter, the essential information regarding these fungi is given, so updating to 2014 the relative available knowledge. Among the Fungi, object of this review, the Ascomycota Pachyphloeus conglomeratus and Tuber malenconii, the Basidiomycota Hymenogaster decorus, H. hessey, H. rehsteineri, Schenella pityophilus and Myriostoma coliforme as well as the Zygomycota Youngiomyces multiplex deserve a particular mention because of their rarity

Studies on volatile organic compounds of some truffles and false truffles

<div><p>Results of solid phase micro-extraction coupled to gas chromatography and mass spectrometry analyses, accomplished on sporophores of 11 species of truffles and false truffles, are reported. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) found in <i>Gautieria morchelliformis</i> were dimethyl sulphide, 1,3-octadiene, 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadien-3-ol, amorphadiene, isoledene and <i>cis-</i>muurola-3,5-diene. In <i>Hymenogaster luteus</i> var. <i>luteus,</i> presence of 1,3-octadiene, 1-octen-3-ol, 3-octanone, 3-octanol and 4-acetylanisole was revealed. Two VOCs, 4-acetylanisole and β-farnesene, constituted aroma of <i>Hymenogaster olivaceus.</i><i>Melanogaster broomeanus</i> exhibited as components of its aroma 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene, 2-methylpropanal, 2-methylpropanol, isobutyl acetate, 3,7-dimethyl-1,6-octadien-3-ol, 3-octanone and β-curcumene. VOC profile of <i>Octavianina asterosperma</i> was characterised by the presence of dimethyl sulphide, ethyl 2-methylpropanoate, methyl 2-methylbutanoate and 3-octanone. <i>Tuber rufum</i> var. <i>rufum</i> and <i>Pachyphloeus conglomeratus</i> showed the presence of dimethyl sulphide only.</p></div