The brownish orange, verrucose peridium, with a marbled appearance just under the surface, appears distinctive. Another taxon, E. muricatus Fr., is similar but seems to be associated with conifers. These truffles may be difficult to locate in the forest soil, but frequently they can be detected indirectly when the subterranean ascomata are parasitized by Cordyceps spp. whose ascomata appear above ground (C. ophioglosoides and C. longisegmentis).