Cordyceps
genus of fungi
Cordyceps is a genus of ascomycete fungi (sac fungi) that includes over 260 species worldwide, many of which are parasitic. Diverse variants of cordyceps have had more than 1,500 years of use in Chinese medicine. Most Cordyceps species are endoparasitoids, parasitic mainly on insects and other arthropods (they are thus entomopathogenic fungi); a few are parasitic on other fungi.
The generic name Cordyceps is derived from the ancient Greek κορδύλη kordýlē, meaning "club", and the Latin -ceps, derived from Latin caput, meaning "head". The genus has a worldwide distribution, with most of the known species being from Asia.
Taxonomy
There are two recognized subgenera:
Cordyceps subgen. Cordyceps Fr. 1818
Cordyceps subgen. Cordylia Tul. & C. Tul.
“Cordyceps” enters the record as genus of fungi. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Cordyceps, genus and fungi can confirm, complicate or overturn.
Why this record matters
“Cordyceps” is worth following because a concise public description often conceals a longer documentary argument. Here, Cordyceps, genus and fungi provides the most credible route into that argument.
Datasets, specimens, observations and peer-reviewed methods provide the appropriate test for the technical claims summarized here. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jul 28, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q312238. None of the 0 selected statements returned an explicit reference. The first chronological checks are 1818.
Current terminology should not be projected backward without checking the classification used when the underlying evidence was created. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Check terminology, classification and the date of the cited evidence. Scientific names and technical consensus can change while older records retain historical value.
- Current terminology
- Classification context
- Finding cited technical literature
Primary datasets, specimen catalogues, standards bodies and the most recent peer-reviewed literature.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Cordyceps”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Cordyceps primary sources, Cordyceps archive and Cordyceps research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Cordyceps”?
- Which observation, specimen, dataset or publication supports the account?
- Has classification or technical consensus changed since the cited source?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Cordyceps” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.