This basidiomycetous truffle is actually a derived member of the Boletaceae. There are two dark-spored genera, Alpova and Melanogaster which are essentially distinguished by spore morphology. The glebal chambers lack a well-defined palisade and are filled with hyphae and basidia that gelatinize at maturity. This Melanogaster is known from one locality near San Gerardo de Dota in the Cordillera Talamanca associated with either Quercus seemannii or Q. copeyensis. This truffle was recently determined to be undescribed by Dr. J. Trappe (pers. com.).