I’ve seen @aaronjhillard ‘s and @millivedder ’s Cantharellus formosus observations and thought I’d see for myself. Chanterelles in June seemed pretty crazy! I went back to where I had found some last year, and, sure enough, found some beautiful little butter sponges! I feel bad for picking them though, they were way too tiny. I should have left them there and come back to them in a couple of days. Also, I’m pretty sure I’ve accidentally come across someone else’s secret chanterelle spot, but whatever.
Oh, and happy 200th observation!
2nd find of the year! Big patch, too. Perfect butter sponges!
Most were immature but found in the same truffle hole by Rye
Stems break within audible snapping noise, jet black spores. In horse manure.
Found in same spot where ovoid mycelium was planted 1 year ago
Semi-erumpent, mixed woods. Alder, birch, oak, hemlock around.
Imaia gigantea
DNA - ITS - Nanopore
Sample: H1-8-1
Collector: HS
Microscopy: HS
Notes: White peridium bruises clay red/orange. Taste slightly sweet, interior solid marbled pale peachy tan with white veins. Two to four spores per ascus.
Looked at some pieces under the microscope. Unfortunately I couldn't get very HQ pics, but I observed the following: 1-4 spores per asci, 3 being most common. Spores 20-40 µm in length, some subglobose but most ellipsoid. Yellow in color.
Is this scleroderma before the spores inside change color? Slimy inside (but did not appear to bleed a latex).
Fairly shallow in the soil, I did look for Douglas-fir but couldn’t see any in this predominately fir forest. However, it’s quite possible I could have missed one. Good condition for the size and season. Elevation 5000’.
most likely associated with Quercus agrifolia
This truffle had been nibbled and dropped: "squirrel dropped" seems to be on a par w "dog harvested" as this specimen had a powerful aroma of white truffle that I captured in a jar with a few pieces of butter, before dehydrating for a voucher.
After speaking with some folks in Santa Barbara, I heard a story of an older fellow who used to sell truffles to restaurants in Santa Barbara. Perhaps it was these T. californicum. Previously, I have not read reports of such aromas with this species. Perhaps because they have been raked for science and not collected with a dog or better yet an (untrained) squirrel!
Largest Pecan Truffle foraged by my dog to date. Found near a Red Oak in Parker County, Texas.
Initially found by a squirrel, many nearby digs suggests it was fruiting in numbers. Under an oak on the UO campus. Smells like Tuber lauryi to me, truffle like with notes of tomato.