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moschatum Ferry de Bellone Body/ascocarp Dimensions From the size of a walnut to that of a human fist; in some cases, 10 cm or more in diameter From the size of a walnut to that of a human fist Shape Rounded or irregular, lobed Rounded or irregular, lobed; sometimes with a dimple at the base Skin/peridium Colour First reddish, then reddish-black, then brownish-black Blackish (never reddish before maturity) Appearance Verrucose Verrucose Verrucas Polygonal (4-6 sides), of average size (3-5 mm), ribbed lengthways, indented at the top, sub-friable Polygonal (5-6 sides), of average size (1-3 mm wide), generally smaller than those of T. melanosporum, not very salient, indented at the top, furrowed lengthways, not striated crosswise Peridium Adheres to gleba Fragile, comes off easily Flesh/gleba Consistency Firm Firm Colour at maturity Purplish-brown to crimson-tinged black Grey-brown to grey-black Veins Numerous, fine, filiform, very distinct and with many ramifications, white, turning to red in the air at maturity Coarse, thick and widely spaced, gangliform, sometimes fine and close together, white, unchanging Smell at maturity Intense, pleasant, typical Pleasant to strong, musky in the moschatum variety Taste Very pleasant, typical Pleasant; unpleasant in the moschatum variety Spores Number per ascus 1-3-4 (6) (average 3-4) 1-6 (average 5) Shape Strongly ellipsoid (like a rugby ball) Oblong-elliptical Colour Dark brown; opaque spores Light yellow, light brown; translucent spores Dimensions (excluding ornamentation) (20) 25-55 × (15) 20-�� � (15) 20-42 × 15-�� � Ornamentation Echinate: short, stiff spines, very close together, not wider at the base; base of spines joined in parts, forming small valleys (visible through a scanning electron microscope); height of spines: 2.5–� � Echinate: long, stiff and pointed spines, not joined at the base, sometimes flexuous; up to 6 � �� ���� Normal period of maturity 15 November to 15 March 15 November to 15 March TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2003/19 page 11 Annex Botanical and organoleptic characteristics of marketable species of truffles (continued) Characteristics Tuber aestivum Vitt. (...) Body/ascocarp Dimensions Variable, from the size of a walnut to that of a human fist or bigger; in some cases, over 10 cm in diameter Variable, from the size of a walnut to that of a human fist or bigger The size of a walnut or, more rarely, the size of a hen’s egg Shape Rounded or irregular; sometimes with a dimple at the base Rounded or irregular; sometimes with a dimple at the base Rounded or irregular; usually with a fairly pronounced dimple at the base Skin/peridium Colour Blackish-brown to black Blackish-brown to black Very black Appearance Verrucose Verrucose Verrucose Verrucas Often large (3-12 mm wide), pyramid-shaped (5-7 sides), salient, hard, sharp-edged, generally indented at the top, striated crosswise and furrowed lengthways Small or large, pyramid-shaped (5-7 sides), salient, sharp-edged, furrowed lengthways; crosswise striations hard to see or absent Small (2-4 mm wide), very close together, sharp or flattened top, five-sided, not striated crosswise Peridium Adheres to gleba Adheres to gleba Adheres to gleba Flesh/gleba Consistency Firm, fleshy Firm, fleshy Firm, fleshy Colour at maturity Pale hazel, light brown Dark chestnut, dark brown to chocolate brown Dark brown to chocolate brown Veins Very numerous, closely spaced, arborescent, fine, white, unchanging Very numerous, closely spaced, with many ramifications, arborescent, fine, white, unchanging White, very distinct, unchanging, labyrinthine Smell at maturity Pleasant, reminiscent of barley malt Pleasant, like hazelnut Intense, bituminous, disappears during cooking Taste Weak, pleasant Very pleasant, far more pronounced than that of T. aestivum Fairly pleasant, sometimes a bitter almond taste Spores Number per ascus 1-4 (6) 1-4 (7) 1-3 (5) Shape Elliptical Elliptical Ellipsoid to almost spherical Colour Yellowish to pale brown Yellowish to pale brown Yellowish to light brownish Dimensions (excluding ornamentation) (18) 25–45 (50) × (15) 18-36 (40) � 20-55 × 15-�� � (20) 25-50 (53) × (15) 20-38 (43) � Ornamentation Reticulate-alveolate: not very well developed network of fairly small and irregular alveoli and open membranous ridges; � ����� ��� � � Reticulate-alveolate: highly developed network of fairly large and regular alveoli; average ��� � � ����� �� � � �� Reticulate-alveolate: fairly well developed network of small and irregular alveoli, often not continuous, covered with secondary ridges; height of network 3-6 � Normal period of maturity 1 May to 30 November 15 September to 31 January 1 September to 31 January TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2003/19 page 12 Annex Botanical and organoleptic characteristics of marketable species of truffles (continued) Characteristics Tuber magnatum Pico Tuber borchii Vitt., Tuber albidum Pico Tuber macrosporum Vitt. Body/ascocarp Dimensions Very variable, from the size of a walnut to that of a large apple; in some cases, over 10-15 cm in diameter Variable, but usually small to medium-sized (from the size of a pea to that of a hen’s egg); in some cases, up to 10 cm in diameter From the size of a walnut to that of a hen’s egg (rarely bigger) Shape Regular or irregular, lobed; almost conical base sometimes visible Regular or irregular, sub-lobed Rounded or fairly irregular Skin/peridium Colour Yellowish, pale ochre, ochreous yellow, ochreous, olive-greenish yellow, greenish tinted, sometimes with rusty brown patches Very variable: first whitish, then pinkish-white, greyish, yellow-ochre-brown, rusty brown, orangy brown, even dark brown, often dotted with brown red or dark reddish patches Reddish-brown, rust-coloured, blackish Appearance Smooth (fine grain visible under microscope) Smooth Slightly verrucose Verrucas None None Small, irregular, polygonal, mostly quadrilateral, flat and misshapen Peridium Adheres to gleba Adheres to gleba Adheres to gleba Flesh/gleba Consistency Firm, but crumbles easily; greasy to the touch Fleshy Firm, fleshy Colour at maturity Very variable: reddish/sooty, often dotted with reddish patches Brown-red, purplish-brown, or almost black Brown-crimson, or blackish Veins Numerous, white, fine, sinuous, anastomosed at many points Few in number, branchlike, anastomosed, sometimes fine and clear-cut, sometimes blurred at the edges, white, ochreous white, reddish, brownish Numerous, large, white, turning brown in contact with air Smell at maturity Strong, typical of Grana cheese, reminiscent of garlic Almost fragrant, then strong and alliaceous Alliaceous, strong, similar to the smell of T. magnatum Taste Pleasant Pleasant Pleasant TRADE/WP.7/GE.1/2003/19 page 13 Annex Botanical and organoleptic characteristics of marketable species of truffles (continued) Characteristics Tuber magnatum Pico Tuber borchii Vitt., Tuber albidum Pico Tuber macrosporum Vitt.