Content
Cordyceps militaris is a common mushroom from the genus of the same name, which has no edible value, but is very useful for illnesses or healing open wounds. In people and oriental medicine, the mushroom is known as Turrobium or Kislarium military. It does not attract the attention of insects or animals, and is rarely encountered by mushroom pickers, who avoid it.
What does military cordyceps look like?
The unusually shaped mushroom belongs to a spore-bearing variety of parasitic organisms. The cylindrical, curved stalk of the mycelium appears as a whitish or bright orange shoot. The mushroom does not have a cap; its color depends on its habitat and the type of insect on whose bodies it grows.The length of Cordyceps military is only 2-8 mm, in rare cases the growth reaches 8 cm. The surface of the fruiting body is bumpy or vesicular.
In cross-section, Cordyceps militaris is filled with whitish fibrous pulp. The mushroom is inedible and has no smell or taste. Turrobium militarium reproduces by septate and filamentous spores. After maturation, the spores disintegrate into small cylinders, and if there are no insect bodies nearby, the colony dies.
Where do Cordyceps militaris grow?
A favorable environment for its development is the larvae of earthen and ordinary insects that could not form or hatch. Most often, mycelium colonies are found on butterfly pupae, which are buried in the soil. On earth, cordyceps spores are dormant, but when a favorable environment appears, the fungus comes to life and begins to actively develop. Spores can also appear on the living body of an insect. Once the spores land on his back, he becomes instantly infected. Gradually, the body begins to deform and become covered with a whitish coating, after which the insect dies and mummifies.
The mycelium first grows inside the body of the pupa, then secretes a natural antibiotic, after which Cordyceps military begins to develop outside. The animal's body serves as a protective cocoon for the parasite from pathogenic microorganisms.
Cordyceps military is distributed in Asia, Africa, Central and South America. In Russia, the appearance of a parasitic fungus was noticed in the country's southern forests and tundra.The mycelium of the parasite was first discovered in the mountains of Tibet, after which it began to be cultivated artificially in China. Fungal spores are not afraid of low or critically high temperatures. It can rarely be found on the ground, but at an altitude of 6.5 m in the mountains there are quite a lot of its varieties.
Is it possible to eat military cordyceps?
Scientists are divided in terms of determining the edibility of a mushroom. It is harmless to the body, officially recognized as inedible, but in some cases it can help even with a serious illness. Parasitic cordyceps military has a valuable composition:
- enzymes and amino acids;
- antioxidants and coenzymes;
- vitamins B, C, PP, K, E;
- magnesium and iron metals;
- calcium.
Turrobia militarya lacks tyrisinase, which makes it classified as an edible mushroom. However, it does not contain pepsin, which can accurately determine its edibility. That is why the nutritional health factor has not yet been determined.
How to distinguish Cordyceps militaris
Cordyceps is similar to poisonous species from the family of the same name:
- Cordyceps is one-sided. A yellow mushroom that parasitizes on the corpses of poisonous beetles. A distinctive feature is that it resembles a full-fledged mushroom with a cap; it grows from the victim’s body in single quantities without small fellows.
- Ophioglossoid. At the time of death, Turrobium militarium turns black, making it similar to a poisonous black variety of mycelium. Unlike its edible counterpart, it develops on caterpillar larvae and has truffle-type varieties.
- Cordyceps variety gray-ash parasitic mycelium. Reaches 3-5 cm in height, is not edible and is not useful for the human body. Develops on any pupae and larvae. Resembles finger-shaped short processes of black color with a grayish cap.
Medicinal properties of cordyceps military
The main component of the mushroom is the natural antibiotic cordycepin. The substance is one of the main powerful elements against tumors. It also reduces, but does not destroy, the activity of dangerous viruses, including HIV and hepatitis. The acid contained in Cordyceps militaris reduces cholesterol levels and normalizes intracranial pressure. Adenosine improves skin condition and prevents the formation of vascular blockages.
Preparations with cordyceps are aimed at preventing or preventing:
- pneumonia, bronchial asthma;
- tuberculosis, pyelonephritis;
- cystitis, uterine bleeding;
- any type of tumor at the initial stage of development.
The daily dosage for an adult is 3-5 g of the substance. Preparations with cordyceps military have only a healing effect on the body. Tinctures made from mycelium powder have similar properties. In case of a serious eating disorder or cirrhosis of the liver, you can additionally consume 200 ml of tincture per day with the main treatment. Simply grind the fruit body into powder, add warm water and leave to brew for 10-12 hours. The drug is taken an hour before meals or after a meal.
Conclusion
Cordyceps military is more useful for humans during treatment than during regular consumption. Its medicinal qualities can help patients with any severity of the disease. Turrobium is no longer considered a rare member of the family of parasitic fungi, but its properties have not yet been fully studied, so you should be careful when coming into contact with this unusual mushroom.
