Cordyceps
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Cordyceps is a genus of ascomycete fungi, the most famous of which is the vegetable caterpillar — Cordyceps sinensis. All Cordyceps species are parasitic, mainly on insects and other arthropods; a few are parasitic on other fungi. The mycelium invades and eventually replaces the host tissue, while the fruiting body may be cylindrical, branched, or of very complex shape.
The genus has a worldwide distribution and more than 300 species are currently known — most have been described from Asia (notably Japan, Korea and Thailand). The genus has many anamorphs (asexual states), of which Beauveria, Metarhizium, and Paecilomyces are the most well-known, since these have been used in biological control of insect pests. The anamorph of Cordyceps subsessilis (Tolypocladium inflatum) was the source of cyclosporin — a drug that made human organ transplants easier, as it suppresses the immune system.ja:冬虫夏草