▁b umps ) ▁on ▁the ▁outer ▁surface , ▁and ▁micro scop ically ▁by ▁the ▁large ▁asym met rical ▁longitud in ally ▁rib bed ▁sp ores ▁with ▁a ▁sharp ly ▁pointed ▁tip . ▁The ▁sp ores ▁are ▁made ▁in ▁structures ▁called ▁as ci , ▁which ▁have ▁thick ened ▁rings ▁at ▁one ▁end ▁that ▁are ▁c apped ▁by ▁a ▁h ing ed ▁structure ▁known ▁as ▁the ▁oper cul um — a ▁lid ▁that ▁is ▁opened ▁when ▁sp ores ▁are ▁to ▁be ▁released ▁from ▁the ▁as cus . ▁ ▁History ▁and ▁tax onomy ▁ ▁W yn nea ▁amer icana ▁was ▁first ▁described ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 5 ▁by ▁American ▁my colog ist ▁Roland ▁Th ax ter . ▁Th ax ter ▁found ▁several ▁clusters ▁of ▁fruit ▁bodies ▁in ▁Bur bank , ▁Tennessee ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 8 , ▁and ▁believed ▁the ▁fung us ▁to ▁be ▁W yn nea ▁mac rot is , ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁first ▁identified ▁species ▁of ▁genus ▁W yn nea . ▁An ▁ 1 8 9 6 ▁visit ▁to ▁the ▁same ▁location ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁C ran berry , ▁North ▁Carolina ▁yield ed ▁further ▁spec im ens . ▁This ▁time , ▁however , ▁Th ax ter ▁noticed ▁that ▁the ▁fruit ▁bodies ▁were ▁not ▁attached ▁to ▁hum us , ▁as ▁expected , ▁but ▁rather ▁to ▁" a ▁large , ▁irregular ly ▁lo bed , ▁brown , ▁firm , ▁t uber - like ▁body ▁buried ▁a ▁few ▁inches ▁deep ▁in ▁the ▁hum us ." ▁Micro scop ic ▁exam ination ▁of ▁this ▁structure ▁and ▁other