Elaphomyces Granulatus
Deer Truffle
Nina Filippova
Patrick Bayan
Sam Deakin
Spore Print: Dark brown to black, powdery
Habitat: Coniferous and mixed forests, often in sandy or acidic soils
Growth Pattern: Hypogeous (underground); usually solitary or scattered in groups
Seasonality: Summer–autumn fruiting, may persist into winter
Basics
Fruiting Body: Subterranean, nearly spherical, typically 1–4 cm across. Peridium (outer rind) thick, yellowish to reddish-brown, rough or granular, sometimes cracked with age.
Interior (Gleba): Pale whitish when young, becoming dark brown to black and powdery at maturity, with faint marbling from sterile veins.
Odor: Mild and earthy when young; stronger and sometimes unpleasant in older specimens.
Texture: Firm with a tough rind, crumbly spore mass when mature.
Spore Print: Dark brown to black (powdery at maturity)
Habitat: Mycorrhizal with conifers (pine, spruce, fir) in Europe, North America, and Asia
Season: Summer to autumn; fruiting bodies often persist underground into winter
Edibility: Considered inedible for humans; lacks culinary value and may cause mild digestive upset.
Ecologically important as a wildlife food source — consumed by deer, wild boar, squirrels, and small mammals.
Key role in spore dispersal via mammal digestion and deposition.
Description
Info
Basics
