Caterpillar Fungus (CordycepsSinesis) 2008-5-31 15:41:31
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ter Insect and Summer Grass". As thename suggests, it is an insect hibernatingin frozen soil in winter, and when summerbegins to set in in late May and peoplebegin to gather it, a grass has grown out ofits head.
The caterpillar fungus is actually akind of Claviceps purpurea. The "winterinsect" is actually the larva of a moth, andthe "summer grass" is a parasitic fungusliving in the head of the insect.
In Chinathere are 20 or so varieties of fungi livingon or in the body of an insect, and caterpillar fungus is one of them.
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The caterpillar fungus grows in themeadows on the shady or semishady sideof a mountain at an altitude of 3,500-5,000metres. In winter, the larva is frozen solidin the soil and becomes very fragile, and itwakes up and begins to crawl about whenthe temperature rises. The larva has developed an unusual resistance againsthunger: it can survive for 119 days without eating in a congenial atmosphere.
The caterpillar fungus is a precioustraditional Chinese medicine of a sweetand warm nature. It is used for the treatment of cough and asthma, anaemia, asthenia and the deterioration of the organs.
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