Trifling variation in truffles

Of the ten species of European truffle (fungi of the genus Tuber, phylum Ascomycota), some have economic value because of their organoleptic properties (taste and perfume), in particular the black truffle (Tuber melanosporum Vitt.) and the summer and burgundy truffles"2. The black truffle is mainly found in Spain, France and Italy (Fig. la), and it shows variation in several traits, including in its famous organoleptic properties, across this geographical range. Here we show that this variation probably results from environmental, rather than genetic, influences. In an attempt to explain the variation in T melanosporum across its geographical range and to studythe distribution of genetic variability within and among populations, we analysed fruiting bodies (ascocarps) from different populations in France and Italy for random amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and microsatellite polymorphism.