ABSTRACT

Cordyceps sinensis is the complex of fungus Cordyceps sinensis (Berk.) Sacc. (Clavicipitaceae) growing on the larva of Hepialus armoricanus Oberthur, which lives a few inches underground. It is also commonly known as Cordyceps, or “Dong Chong Xia Cao” (summer-grass and winter-worm) in Chinese, because of its appearance during different seasons. Cordyceps has been known and used in China for medication for more than 300 years (Fig. 1). Cordyceps is first recorded in Ben Cao Cong Xin by Wu Yiluo in A.D. 1757. Later it was revealed that the original description of Cordyceps was in Ben Cao Bei Yao by Wang Ang in A.D. 1694, who wrote: “Cordyceps is sweet in taste

and neutral in nature, and replenishing the kidney and soothing the lung, arresting bleeding, resolving phlegm, and killing the cough. Cordyceps derived from Jiading of Sichuan, shows the highest quality. In winter, it appears as an old silk worm in soil, and moves with hair. In summer, hairs grow out of soil, and turn into grass. They have to be collected in summer, if not they will turn into worm again.”