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Military cordyceps is a common mushroom from the genus of the same name, which has no edible value, but is very useful for diseases or healing open wounds. In folk and oriental medicine, the mushroom is known as Turrobiy or Kislyariy military. It does not attract the attention of insects or animals, rarely found by mushroom pickers who bypass it.
What do military Cordyceps look like?
The fungus of an unusual shape belongs to the spore variety of parasitic organisms. The cylindrical curved leg of the mycelium looks like a whitish or bright orange process. The mushroom has no hat, its color depends on the habitat and the variety of insects on whose bodies it grows. The length of military Cordyceps is only 2-8 mm, in rare cases, growth reaches 8 cm. The surface of the fruiting body is bumpy or vesicular.
In the context of cordyceps military is filled with whitish fibrous pulp. The mushroom is inedible and has no smell or taste. Military turrobium reproduces by cloisonné and filamentous spores. After maturation, the spores break up into small cylinders, and if there are no insect bodies nearby, the colony dies.
Where do cordyceps grow
A favorable environment for its development is the larvae of earth and ordinary insects that could not form or hatch. Most often, mycelium colonies are found on butterfly pupae, which are forgotten in the soil. On the ground, cordyceps spores are hibernating, but when a favorable environment appears, the fungus comes to life and begins to actively develop. Also, spores can appear on the living body of an insect. Once the spores land on its back, it becomes instantly infected. Gradually, the body begins to deform, 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 the cordyceps military begins to develop outside. The body of the animal serves as a protective cocoon for the parasite from pathogenic microorganisms.
According to the range, Cordyceps military is distributed in Asia, Africa, Central and South America. In Our Country, the appearance of a parasitic fungus was noticed in the southern forests of the country and the tundra. For the first time, the mycelium of the parasite was found in the mountains of Tibet, after which it began to be cultivated artificially in China. Fungus spores are not afraid of low or critically high temperatures. It is rarely found on the ground, but at a height of 6,5 m in the mountains there are a lot of its varieties.
Is it possible to eat cordyceps military
The opinion of scientists is divided in terms of determining the edibility of the fungus. 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 military lacks tyrizinase, which makes it an edible mushroom. However, it does not contain pepsin, which can accurately determine its edibility. That is why the factor of usefulness in food has not yet been determined.
How to distinguish cordyceps military
Cordyceps is similar to poisonous varieties from the family of the same name:
- Cordyceps unilateral. A yellow mushroom that parasitizes on the corpses of poisonous beetles. A distinctive feature – it resembles a full-fledged mushroom with a hat; it grows from the body of the victim in a single amount without small brothers.
- Ophioglossoid. At the time of death, Turrobium military turns black, which makes it look like a poisonous variety of black mycelium. Unlike its edible counterpart, it develops on caterpillar larvae and has varieties of the truffle type.
- Variety of cordyceps gray-ash parasitic mycelium. Reaches 3-5 cm in height, has no edibility and usefulness for the human body. It develops on any pupae and larvae. It resembles finger-shaped short processes of black color with a grayish cap.
Medicinal properties of military cordyceps
The main component of the fungus is the natural antibiotic cordycepin. The substance is one of the main powerful elements against tumors. It also reduces, but does not eliminate, the activity of dangerous viruses, including HIV and hepatitis. The acid contained in military cordyceps reduces cholesterol levels and normalizes intracranial pressure. Adenosine improves skin condition, prevents the formation of blockage of blood vessels.
Preparations with cordyceps are aimed at preventing or preventing:
- pneumonia, bronchial asthma;
- tuberculosis, pyelonephritis;
- cystitis, uterine bleeding;
- any type of tumor at an early 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. Mycelium powder tinctures have similar properties. With a serious eating disorder or cirrhosis of the liver, you can additionally use 200 ml of tincture per day with the main treatment. It is enough to grind the fruiting body into powder, pour warm water and leave to infuse for 10-12 hours. The drug is consumed one hour before a meal or after a meal.
Conclusion
Cordyceps militaris is more useful for humans in the treatment than in normal consumption. Its medicinal qualities can help patients with any degree of severity of the disease. Turrobium is no longer considered a rare member of the parasitic fungus family, but its properties have not yet been fully explored, so you should be careful when coming into contact with this unusual fungus.
