Overall study on Iranian truffles

Abstract

The Spring season in Iran, especially the months of April and May, is a thriving season for the wild harvesting and sale of fresh medicinal plants and mushrooms that are seen in the form of local markets and seasonal stores during the rainy season. Based on habitats of Iranian truffles, they can be classified in two groups including Desert truffles and Forest truffles. Based on our knowledge desert truffles are distributed in Northwest, West, East and Southern of Iran, specially in uncultivated area with special soil physicochemical properties. Our documented information shows the growth of desert truffles in more than 14 provinces of the country including Zanjan, Qazvin, areas of Tehran, Mazandaran and Golestan rangelands, East Azarbaijan; West Azarbailan. Hamedan, Kordestan, Fars, Bandar abbas, Kerman and Sistan and Bluchestan. Based on macroscopic, microscopic and molecular analysis, Terfezia sp. and Pico sp. are two common genus of desert truffles. <em>Tuber aestivum</em> and <em>Tuber uncinatum</em> are two scientifically introduced genus for Iranin mycobiota.