Definitions for "Cordyceps"
considered by Traditional Chinese Medicine to be a cure-all since its health benefits range from supporting liver and nerve function, to improving energy production, enhancing oxygen utilization and increasing circulation.
Cordyceps has properties similar to those of ginseng and has been used to strengthen and rebuild the body after exhaustion or long-term illness. It has also been used traditionally for impotence, neurasthenia, and backache.
Cordyceps is a genus of ascomycete fungi, the most famous of which is the species that parasitizes the vegetable caterpillar — Cordyceps sinensis that has long been considered a precious ingredient in Chinese traditional medicines. All Cordyceps species are parasitic, mainly on insects and other arthropods (they are thus entomopathogenic fungi); a few are parasitic on other fungi like the subterranean, truffle-like Elaphomyces. The mycelium invades and eventually replaces the host tissue, while the elongated fruiting body (stroma) may be cylindrical, branched, or of very complex shape.