What Is the Difference Between Cordyceps Flower and Cordyceps Militaris? One Article Explains the Differences Between the Two
Cordyceps flower and Cordyceps militaris both carry the name "cordyceps," and their appearances are also very similar. Many people cannot figure out whether the two are the same thing, so are Cordyceps flower and Cordyceps militaris actually the same plant? If not, what is the difference between the two?
1. The Difference Between Cordyceps Flower and Cordyceps Militaris
There is no difference between Cordyceps flower and Cordyceps militaris; the two are actually the same plant, just called by different names in different places. Cordyceps flower belongs to the genus Cordyceps in the family Clavicipitaceae, order Hypocreales, class Sordariomycetes, phylum Ascomycota, and mainly grows in the northern regions of China. This plant can now be cultivated artificially, and most of what is on the market is artificially cultivated Cordyceps flower.
Cordyceps flower is different from Chinese cordyceps (Ophiocordyceps sinensis). Chinese cordyceps is an extremely rare wild Chinese medicinal material that cannot yet be cultivated artificially. In China, Chinese cordyceps is mainly produced in the high-cold zones and snow-capped grasslands of the five provinces of Qinghai, Tibet, Sichuan, Yunnan and Gansu in mainland China. Medicinally, it is also far more precious than Cordyceps flower.
2. The Main Value of Cordyceps Flower
The main production areas of Cordyceps flower are located in Yunnan, Jilin, Liaoning, Inner Mongolia and other places, and it is an edible fungus rich in high protein and amino acids. In modern pharmacology, the extract of wild Cordyceps flower contains substances such as cordyceps polysaccharides, amino acids, SOD and vitamin E, which can quickly restore the human body's physiological state and enhance strength and endurance. It has good dietary therapeutic effects in anti-cancer, anti-diabetic, immunity-boosting, anti-aging and antioxidant aspects. However, the artificially cultivated Cordyceps flower circulating on the market does not have such strong effects.
The Cordyceps flower circulating on the market is very diverse, and attention should be paid to distinguishing it when purchasing. Generally, only the stick-shaped ones with many small spore heads that turn golden yellow after being soaked in water are of good quality.