The Tuberaceae (/ˌtjuːbəˈreɪsii/) are a family of mycorrhizal fungi in the order Pezizales, that evolved during or after the first major radiation of Angiosperms in the Jurassic period (140–180 million years ago, Mya).[1] It includes the genus Tuber, which includes the so-called "true" truffles. It was characterized by the Belgian botanist Barthélemy Charles Joseph du Mortier in 1822. A molecular study of ribosomal DNA by mycologist Kerry O'Donnell in 1997 found that a small clade now redefined as Helvellaceae is most closely related to the Tuberaceae.[2] The mycologist Mary Cloyd Burnley Stifler studied and described fungal family, donating specimens to herbariums across the United States.[3]