Cordyceps

Cordyceps militaris

Cordycipitaceae

Orange cultivated cordyceps used for stamina and lung Qi — buy militaris, not mystery 'Himalayan gold'.

C. militaris is cultivated legally. Wild Ophiocordyceps sinensis is expensive, often faked, and conservation-sensitive.

Parts used: Cultivated fruiting body
Traditional notes: Fatigue · Thin, weak voice after illness · Libido in depletion · High-altitude folklore
Grow · USDA 6b: Lab / indoor crop Buy a ready militaris kit unless you already do sterile culture. In work: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
Harvest: When clubs are orange and before they sporulate heavily.

C. militaris kits exist. Wild caterpillar fungus does not belong in a shopping cart.
Fruiting wants cool, bright, clean air once the kit is opened.
Dry the orange clubs fully. They candy if you rush.

Safety

Organ transplant Hormone-sensitive conditions — discuss Buying unlabeled 'wild Tibetan' powder

Lore

The wild Tibetan caterpillar fungus made headlines and scarcity. What you can grow is Cordyceps militaris, orange and honest, on rice or insect substrate. The story of the worm is not the story of the jar.

The Herbarium — a teaching catalog, not a clinic. Traditional use is history, not a prescription. USDA 6b dates are a week either way, not a promise. Do not eat, drink, or harvest a plant you cannot name.