Common Nut Truffle vs Thin Nut Truffle

Hymenogaster vulgaris compared with Hymenogaster tener

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Common Nut Truffle	Thin Nut Truffle
Kingdom same	Fungi (真菌界)	Fungi (真菌界)
Phylum same	Basidiomycota (担子菌门)	Basidiomycota (担子菌门)
Class same	Agaricomycetes (傘菌綱)	Agaricomycetes (傘菌綱)
Order same	Agaricales (伞菌目)	Agaricales (伞菌目)
Family same	Hymenogastraceae	Hymenogastraceae
Genus same	Hymenogaster	Hymenogaster
Species	Hymenogaster vulgaris	Hymenogaster tener

Evolutionary Relationship

Common Nut Truffle and Thin Nut Truffle share a common ancestor at the Genus level: Hymenogaster.

Conservation Status

Common Nut Truffle

DD — Data Deficient

Thin Nut Truffle

DD — Data Deficient

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Common Nut Truffle	Thin Nut Truffle
Diet	—	—
Average Lifespan	—	—
Average Length	—	—
Average Weight	—	—

Habitat & Geographic Range

Common Nut Truffle

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and United States.

Thin Nut Truffle

Habitat

Typically found in forest floors, decomposing wood, and soil ecosystems.

Range

Distributed across Denmark, Norway, and Sweden.

Common Nut Truffle

<em>Hymenogaster vulgaris</em>, the common nut truffle, is a hypogeous (below-ground) fungus in the family Hymenogastraceae, order Agaricales. This sequestrate species produces enclosed, truffle-like fruiting bodies that mature underground and rely primarily on small mammals and invertebrates for spore dispersal, as the sporocarps never open to release spores aerially. <em>Hymenogaster vulgaris</em> typically forms ectomycorrhizal associations with hardwood tree species, particularly oaks and beeches, in temperate European forests. Its geographic range includes Denmark, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, and the United States, reflecting a somewhat scattered distribution across temperate zones. The species is currently assessed as Data Deficient by the IUCN, indicating that insufficient information exists to evaluate its conservation status, likely because hypogeous fungi are difficult to survey and their population trends are poorly known. Biological traits such as lifespan, body size, and diet remain poorly documented for this species. As an ectomycorrhizal fungus, <em>Hymenogaster vulgaris</em> plays a critical role in facilitating nutrient uptake in host trees and supporting forest health across its temperate range.

Shared Countries

Both species can be found in 3 countries:

🇩🇰 Denmark 🇳🇴 Norway 🇸🇪 Sweden