Hypogeous desert fungi -- Nomenclatural history and Genealogies of Desert Truffles -- Cryptic and new species -- Soil Properties -- Types of Mycorrhizal Association -- Pre-symbiotic interactions between the desert truffle Terfezia boudieri and its host plant Helianthemum sessiliflorum -- Benefits conferred on plants -- Ecology and Distribution of Desert Truffles in Western North America -- The European desert truffles -- Mediterranean Basin: North Africa -- Asian Mediterranean Desert Truffles -- Non mediterranean Asian desert countries -- Ecology and Distribution of Desert Truffles in the Kalahari of southern Africa -- Ecology and Distribution of Desert Truffles in the Australian Outback -- The History of Desert-Truffle Use -- Enzymes in Terfezia claveryi ascocarps -- Nutritional and antioxidant properties of Terfezia and Picoa -- Nutritional and antioxidant Properties of the white desert truffle Tirmania nivea (Zubaidi). -- Preservation of Truffles -- The Medicinal Value of Desert Truffles -- Domestication: Preparation of mycorrhizal seedlings -- Preparation and maintenance of both man-planted and wild plots.