About Leccinum pachyderme (Zeller & C.W.Dodge) M.Kuo & B.Ortiz
Gallacea scleroderma produces hypogeous (underground) fruiting bodies that are roughly spherical to irregular in shape, typically measuring 2–5 cm (0.79–1.97 in) in diameter. The outer surface (peridium) is firm, thick, and may have a velvety texture, which gives this species its common name "velvet potato fungus." When cut open, the gleba is brown to muddy brown in color. Its spores are ellipsoid, smooth, brown, measuring approximately 5–10 micrometres (μm).
This species is endemic to New Zealand, where it is primarily found in Nothofagus forests. It forms ectomycorrhizal associations with a range of southern beech trees, including N. fusca, N. menziesii, N. solandri, and N. cliffortioides. These associations have been documented in multiple herbarium records across New Zealand. A 2025 analysis of fossilized moa droppings confirmed that moa consumed Gallacea scleroderma, and that moa were likely a major disperser for this fungus.
