Tuber brumale vitt. Brumale truffle

Tuber brumale Vittad. 1831 var. *brumale* Vittad. [= *T. brumale* Vittad.], commonly known as the black winter truffle (*trifola nera*). The scientific name refers to its winter ripening (from the Latin *brumalis*).

Ascomi	Ascomata globose or subglobose in shape, 2–8 cm in diameter.
Peridium	Dark red peridium that becomes black when ripe, with pyramidal warts.
Gleba	Gleba grayish-black with a faint violet tinge. Distinct, white sterile veins. Upon cooking, the sterile veins disappear, and the entire flesh takes on a more or less dark chocolate color.
Aschi	Asci subglobose, shortly stalked or sessile. Spores oval, brown, translucent at maturity, echinulate (spiny) rather than reticulate; numbering 4–6 (sometimes fewer) per ascus, and smaller and paler than those of *T. melanosporum*. It emits a pleasant aroma of unripe hazelnuts or, according to Vittadini, one resembling the bark of the common dogwood (*Cornus sanguinea* L.).
Symbiotic plants	It grows in symbiosis with downy oak, English oak, sessile oak, holm oak, Turkey oak, hazel, hop-hornbeam, European hornbeam, alder, beech, willow, poplar, and linden. In cultivated truffle grounds, it is a strong competitor to the prized black truffle and tends to displace its mycorrhizae. It matures from late autumn through spring.
Harvest period	In the Puglia region, the harvesting of this species is permitted from January 1st to March 15th.