Genea cephalonicae Kaounas, Agnello & P. Alvarado, is a truffle of the genus Genea, which forms ectomycorrhizal associations with Abies cephalonica (Greek fir).  According to Kaounas et al. (2016), it differs from the other Genea spp. because of its habitat, and its particular spore ornamentation with large warts with rounded tips, 3–5(–6) μm high, rarely digitate, but also sometimes truncated. These morphoanatomic observations are supported by phylogenetic results. The only other Genea species sharing a putatively similar habitat is Genea vagans Mattir., found under Abies sp. and Fagus sp. in Italy. G. vagans is however quite different from G. cephalonicae because of its size, reported by Mattirolo (1900) to be smaller than a pea, and spores ornamented with conical warts.

Genea cephalonicae Kaounas, Agnello & P. Alvarado, is an ectomycorrhizal subterranean fungus, considered to be endemic to Greece, especially to places which Abies cephalonica (Greek Fir) occurs. Until now, it has only been collected from a single location on Mt Parnitha in Attica region. The species has been searched for in several forests of Eastern Central Greece and has never been found again. However, due to the subterranean habit of this small, dark mushroom, it can easily be overlooked. Also, the species has not been searched for in most of the A. cephalonica forests, which are extensive from central Greece to the Peloponnese, therefore it is possible that it also exists in other localities. It may well have an extremely restricted distribution with a very small population size, justifying a Critically Endangered assessment. However, it is also possible that the species is more widespread than currently known and may be Least Concern. Therefore, until its distribution ad population status can be confirmed, this species is assessed as Data Deficient.

Genea cephalonicae Kaounas, Agnello & P. Alvarado, is an ectomycorrhizal subterranean fungus, and it is considered to be endemic to Greece, especially to places where Abies cephalonica (Greek Fir) occurs. Until now, it has only been collected from a single location on Mt Parnitha in Attica region (Kaounas 2016).

Until now, G. cephalonicae has only been collected from a single location on Mt Parnitha in Attica region, which is dominated by Greek Fir (A. cephalonica). Regarding the relatively broad collection surveys in such habitats from truffle hunters, in the past 5–10 years, the absence of recording or reports of G. cephalonicae suggests a small population size. Nevertheless, due to the subterranean habit of this species, it is possible to exist in other localities also, but currently it is thought to be very rare.

Genea cephalonicae is an hypogeous fungi, which forms symbiotic ectomycorrhizal relationships with Abies cephalonica. All known collections ranged from May to June. Abies cephalonica is found between 400 and 1,800 m and rarely up to 2,000 m or more. Greek Fir grows in pure stands, or occasionally with other trees, on soils with pH ranging from 5 to 8, derived from various parent materials such as limestone, dolomites, shale, serpentine, sandstone, mica-schist and argillic-schist (Panetsos 1975, Papanikolaou 2006).

There are no plausible or known threats to this species, except forest fires. According to IUCN European Habitat classification (Janssen et al. 2016) and A. cephalonica IUCN assessment (Gardner and Knees 2011), the population of Greek Fir is stable and is not threatened: A. cephalonica is listed as Least Concern.

Greek Fir forests, according to the European Directive 92/43, belong to the habitat type 91B0: 'Greek spruce (Abies cephalonica) forests', which is a habitat of national importance. The presence of the habitat in Greece is significant in extent, and because it is an endemic type, Greece bears the exclusive responsibility for its conservation in the European Union (Korakis 2015, in Greek). It is afforded protection in a number of national parks including; Cephalonia National Park, Mt Parnassos National Park and Mt Oeti National Park (Duffey 1982).