Chinese caterpillar fungus - Photos by Xiadan, Shigatse, Tibet, China

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Cordyceps sinensis, also known as Chinese caterpillar fungus, or cordyceps is a parasitic fungus Cordyceps bat moth larvae in the body of the sub - Block and larval body complex. Ergot fungus belonging to orders, ergot fungus Branch, Cordyceps. As the name suggests, Chinese caterpillar fungus of course, is a worm in winter, while in summer it becomes a grass. Why amazing? It turned out that Cordyceps bat moth is a known animal, will be producing eggs in the ground to make it grow like silkworms hatched larvae in general. In addition, there is a spore, will go through water infiltration into the ground, seek out the parasitic bat moth larvae, and larvae of the body to absorb nutrition, and rapid reproduction, known as the Cordyceps fungi. When the hyphae grew slowly at the same time, the larvae have grown up with the slow, but drilled the ground. Until the mycelium to grow to a full of parasites, the larvae will die, this time exactly winter, that is, the so-called winter worm. When air temperatures rise, the mycelium will be the head slowly from the winter worm germination, grow grass like a normal child seat of fungi, known as summer grass. The head of the child seat in fungi contain ascus, ascus containing a spore. When the ascus mature, spores will be shed, once again looking for the bat moth larvae as hosts, this is the cycle of Cordyceps sinensis.

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