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Noun	1.	false truffle - any of various fungi of the family Rhizopogonaceae having subterranean fruiting bodies similar to the truffle family Rhizopogonaceae, Rhizopogonaceae - a family of fungi of order Hymenogastrales having round subterranean sporophores Rhizopogon idahoensis - a large whitish Rhizopogon that becomes greyish brown in maturity Truncocolumella citrina - a fungus with a round yellow to orange fruiting body that is found on the surface of the ground or partially buried; has a distinctive sterile column extending into the spore-bearing tissue fungus - an organism of the kingdom Fungi lacking chlorophyll and feeding on organic matter; ranging from unicellular or multicellular organisms to spore-bearing syncytia
	2.	false truffle - any of various fungi of the genus Scleroderma having hard-skinned subterranean fruiting bodies resembling truffles earthball, hard-skinned puffball, puffball genus Scleroderma, Scleroderma - genus of poisonous fungi having hard-skinned fruiting bodies: false truffles Scleroderma aurantium, Scleroderma citrinum - an earthball fungus that is a dingy brownish yellow and a dark purplish interior; the peridium is covered with a pattern of small warts Scleroderma flavidium, star earthball - an earthball with a smooth upper surface that is at first buried in sand; the top of the fruiting body opens up to form segments like the ray of an umbel Scleroderma bovista, smooth earthball - an earthball with a peridium that is firm dry and smooth when young but developing cracks when mature; pale orange-yellow when young and reddish brown at maturity fungus - an organism of the kingdom Fungi lacking chlorophyll and feeding on organic matter; ranging from unicellular or multicellular organisms to spore-bearing syncytia

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References in periodicals archive

By examining DNA, Palmer and his colleagues discovered a close genetic similarity between the umbrella-shaped Suillus mushroom and a ball-like, soil-living "false truffle" -- one of the first and perhaps most extreme cases in which scientists have found an organism to have evolved directly from another, very different-looking organism, Palmer says.

In the past, biologists were unable to confirm any relationship between the false truffle Rhizopogon subcaerulescens and other fungal species.

Fungal duo teaches evolutionary lesson

That's because first-place winner Elizabeth Michele Pine, 17, following in the footsteps of the 18th-century taxonomist, tackled the classification of a group of fungi called false truffles. Last week, Pine, of Chicago, received a $40,000 college scholarship for this research, part of a $205,000 pot awarded to 40 young scientists.

Fungi study harvests Westinghouse prize