Cordyceps sinensis, a valuable nourishing medicinal material, is a complex of the daughter of Cordyceps sinensis (a fungus belonging to the genus Cordyceps of the family Ergonomidae) and the larva of its host, Cordyceps hepialidae, also known as Cordyceps sinensis. It is a traditional export commodity in China, mainly produced in Sichuan, Qinghai and Tibet. Modern pharmacology has proved that Cordyceps sinensis has the functions of enhancing immunity, anti-arrhythmia, anti-myocardial ischemia, bronchiectasis and anti-tumor. Cordyceps sinensis has extremely high medical value. Therefore, it is called "gold" in medicine. In the market, there are often illegal businessmen who adulterate it, which makes it difficult to distinguish between true and false.
Cordyceps sinensis is composed of "insect body" and "grass part" (fruiting body growing from the head) (see Figure 1). The "worm body" is shaped like a silkworm, brittle and easily broken, and is 3-5 cm long. .3-.8 cm thick. The head is yellowish brown, the broken surface is slightly flat, and the white is slightly yellow. There are 2-3 obvious rough rings on the "worm body" from beginning to end, and the rings near the head are thinner. The "worm body" has 8 pairs of feet, 3 pairs near the head, 4 pairs in the middle and 1 pair near the tail, of which 4 pairs in the middle are the most obvious. "Grass" is dark brown to brown, slender and cylindrical. Generally, it is 4-8 cm long and about .3 cm thick, with fine longitudinal wrinkles on the surface, slightly enlarged top, flexible texture, fibrous broken surface, yellowish white, slightly fishy and light taste.
high-quality cordyceps sinensis should be complete. The "worm body" is hypertrophy and fullness. Appearance color Huang Liang. The interior is white and the "grass" is short. Here is a brief introduction to the main identification features of several counterfeit products in case they are cheated when buying.
cordyceps liangshanensis (fig. 3. another fungus of ergot family). The "worm body" is longer. It is 3-6 cm, with a brown surface and no obvious "insect feet". The "grass part" is slender, 1-3 cm long, with a smaller diameter and a yellowish brown to yellowish brown color. A few "grasses" have branches at the top.
cordyceps hawkes (fig. 4, another fungus of ergot family). Also known as Cordyceps yaxiangensis. The surface of the worm is grayish yellow, and the foot is obviously visible. "Grass" is light gray to gray-black, with a few upper branches, and most of the swollen parts are small black, which is crisp and easy to break, slightly fragrant and light in taste.
Bombyx Batryticatus (Figure 5. Silkworm body is dried). The "worm body" is slightly cylindrical, curved and shriveled, with a grayish yellow surface, covered with white powdery frost (aerial hyphae and molecular spores) and a round head. 8 pairs of feet are protruding. There is no "grass department" The smell is slightly fishy and salty.
The die "Cordyceps sinensis" is made of flour, corn flour, gypsum powder, etc., and the "worm body" is smooth. It is yellow-white, with obvious ring lines and heavy weight (Figure 6). The broken surface is pale white, and the test of dropping a small amount of iodine will be blue. If you chew your teeth for a long time, it will loosen if you cook them for a long time. The grass body is often disguised by the dry petiole of sweet potato, which is hollow and not easy to break.