Fruit body: globose, up to 7(10) cm in diameter. Peridium consists of large pyramidal warts up to 7 mm, coloured umber-black. Gleba is solid, whitish, later darker in shades of brown, densely interspersed with white veins, mild taste; younger specimens have mild smell, while old have distinct complex odour which at the same time reminds of garlic and old cheeses.

Microscopy: spores ellipsoid to globose, ornamented with warts which create a reticulum, 25-35x18-25 µm, bright brown. Asci are bag-shape, on short stem, with 1-6 spores, but mostly with 2-4.

Habitat: widely distributed species, season from summer to winter in association with various trees (Tilia, Quercus, Populus, Corylus) up to 1000m altitude; always buried.

Edibility: edible and commercially exploited.

Reference: Uzelac, B. (2009). Gljive Srbije i zapadnog Balkana, BGV Logik, Beograd.

Photo: Goran Milošević