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Non-Mediterranean Asian Desert Countries

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Desert Truffles

Part of the book series: Soil Biology ((SOILBIOL,volume 38))

Abstract

This chapter undertakes to sum up information concerning desert truffles in non-Mediterranean Asian countries. Included are Iran, Pakistan, Azerbaijan, Arab Peninsula, and China. Desert truffles and semiarid truffles are collected from the wild in appropriate habitats, which are described. In some places mountain ranges have the climate and soil conditions suitable for desert truffles. In others—the right conditions are found in steppes. Different species of desert truffles are described from different areas. These truffles form symbiotic associations with plant species such as grasses (bog sedge), crop species (sorghum and maize), shrubs (Helianthemum spp.), or trees (e.g., pine). Truffling season varies between spring in the Arab Peninsula and autumn in China. In some countries such as Saudi Arabia, desert truffles are considered a delicacy from ancient times till today; in others such as Pakistan and China, they are virtually unknown or not appreciated. Truffle species encountered in the various countries include Terfezia boudieri, T. claveryi, T. aphroditis, T. hanotauxii, T. hafizi, T. leonis (=Terfezia arenaria), T. transcaucasica, T. parvocarpus, Tirmania pinoyi, Mattirolomyces terfezioides, Picoa lefebvrei, and Leucangium carthusianum (=Picoa carthusiana).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicinal Plants and Fungi, Research Institute of Modern Biological Techniques, University of Zanjan, Zanjan, Iran

    Ali Ammarellou

  2. Sari University of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources, Sari, Iran

    Ali Ammarellou, Gorbanali Nematzadeh & Mohammadali Tajick

  3. The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Ltd., 4704, Christchurch, 8140, New Zealand

    Yun Wang

  4. Yunnan Institute for Tropical Crop Research, Jinghong, Yunnan, China

    Yun Wang

Authors
  1. Ali Ammarellou
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  2. Yun Wang
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  3. Gorbanali Nematzadeh
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  4. Mohammadali Tajick
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ali Ammarellou .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Life Sciences Department, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    Varda Kagan-Zur

  2. Life Sciences Department, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    Nurit Roth-Bejerano

  3. Jacob Blaustein Institute for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University, Beer-Sheva, Israel

    Yaron Sitrit

  4. Facultad de Biología, Universidad de Murcia, Murcia, Spain

    Asunción Morte

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Ammarellou, A., Wang, Y., Nematzadeh, G., Tajick, M. (2014). Non-Mediterranean Asian Desert Countries. In: Kagan-Zur, V., Roth-Bejerano, N., Sitrit, Y., Morte, A. (eds) Desert Truffles. Soil Biology, vol 38. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-40096-4_12

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