 Because of its wide distribution and abundance in forest soils, it is one of the most well-studied ectomycorrhizal fungal species.While the species has long been known to be sterile and not produce asexual or sexual spores, cryptic sexual stages may exist.The hyphae produced by "C. geophilum" are characterized by their thick (1.5-8 um), straight and jet black appearance with little branching.