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.