C. emergens belongs to the Carbomycetaceae family, in the order Pezizales, class Pezizomycetes, division Ascomycota.

[2] This is in reference to the original author of the species, Helen Margaret Gilkey, who described the dried periderm of the fungus as having a “texture somewhat that of carbonized wood”.

The term desert truffle refers to several edible fungi that grow either entirely under the surface of the earth, or partially covered by it.

[3] C. emergens is white to cream in color or yellow to brownish orange, with an occasionally cracked, glaucous surface.

[4] The fungus has only been found loose on sand or dirt, indicating that the fruiting body emerges at maturity and is released.

The fungus is found as with a gleba of large, thin-walled hyphae, which disintegrates at maturity to form a powdery spore mass.

[citation needed] Carbomyces emergens has been found on arid lands, in xeric conditions, on sandy soils, sand hills and dunes.

Every collection occurrence of C. emergens indicates that the fungus is only found lying loose on soil where it is then windblown into arroyos, brush patches, and the like.

[9] Many desert truffles form mycorrhizal associations with annual or perennial plants, but C. emergens has only been found as arbuscular mycorrhizae.