Cordyceps Blog

found in Western Washington State early October 2011

Elaphocordyceps ophioglossoides and Cordyceps militaris.
Photo © D. Winkler

Cordyceps militaris

Cordyceps militaris fruiting out of a lepidopteran pupa found by Marian Maxwell. As other trueCordyceps-species it is typified by brightly colored, fleshy stromata. A common name used in the UK is Scarlet Caterpillarclub. Photo © D. Winkler
Drumstick Truffleclub


A Cordyceps militaris stroma close-up showing the "blister"-like perithecia. Inside a perithecium longish asci sacs are embedded in which spores are produced. Photo © D. Winkler


A cross section reveals the structure of the fruiting body. Photo © D. Winkler


Note, how the perithecia are only partially submersed in the stroma of Cordyceps militaris. 

Elaphocordyceps ophioglossoides

Twin Elaphocordyceps ophioglossoides parasitizing on a twin deer truffle (Elaphomyces sp.).
Snaketongue Truffleclub is a good English name used in the UK. Until 2007 it was classified as a true Cordyceps in the Clavicipitaceae family, but now all truffle parasitizing Cordyceps and closely related species that attack nymphs of cicadas are classified as Elaphocordyceps based on an extensive phylogenetic study published by Sung et al. While Cordyceps militaris is the type species in the new Cordycipitaceae family, Elaphocordyceps and Ophiocordyceps species are in the newly erected Ophiocordycepitaceae with  Ophiocordyceps unilateralis as type specimen. 
This Elaphocordyceps ophioglossoides specimen was found by Christian Schwarz 
in the Sol Duc forests on the Olympic Peninsula. Photo © D. Winkler



Cross section of the stroma of Elaphocordyceps ophioglossoides. Photo © D. Winkler


The perithecia are completely immersed in stroma tissue in an ordinal arrangement, where perithecia are oriented in a right angle to the surface. 
In the lower center of the image a larva is visible, a parasite parasitizing a parasite, 
or more neutrally formulated "The web of life". Photo © D. Winkler


Sporulating Elaphocordyceps ophioglossoides. This photo was taken one day after the photo above showing the complete Cordyceps-truffle complex. Sporulation had commenced.
Whereas spores in the Cordycipitaceae subdivide into part-spores or propagules, spores in the Ophiocordycipitaceae remain whole and can not subdivide. Photo © D. Winkler

Elaphocordyceps capitata

The most common Cordyceps in the PNW seems to be Elaphocordyceps capitata, the Drumstick Truffleclub. This specimen was found by Thom O'Dell near Sol Duc on the Olympic Peninsula in late October 2008. Photo © D. Winkler


The fertile tissue (brown) of the Elaphocordyceps capitata stroma is very distinct from the non-fertile yellow tissue. Photo © D. Winkler


Two freshly dug Elaphocordyceps capitata specimen found near Breitenbush Hot Springs, OR in 2004. The stroma attaches in these specimens directly onto the Elaphomyces truffle, which it is parasitizing. Photo © D. Winkler


More images of other Cordyceps species on my MushRoaming webpages
Caterpillar fungus (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) pages
2012 Cordyceps Expedition to Tibet

Amazing Amazon - MushRoaming Bolivia 
Jan. 20 to Feb 2, 2012

After last February's awesome tour in Ecuador, Larry Evans, Montana mycologist known from “Know your Mushrooms” and Daniel Winkler, MushRoaming LLC, will be teaming up again for an eco-tour exploring Bolivia's rich biodiversity and especially its mushrooms. We will meet in La Paz, explore the city and then slowly travel down the Andes to the cloud forest Yungas. Down in the Amazon rain forest we will travel half a day up river by canoe to an eco-lodge where will stay for 6 days surrounded by stunning pristine Amazon Rain Forest to explore the local funga, flora & fauna. Here we will have additional knowledgeable local guides assisting Larry who has researched the Amazonian funga for many years and Daniel. Then we will be returning to the high altitude environment and explore Uyuni, the worlds largest salt fields. More details on: www.MushRoaming.com

Lentinus strigosus is a beautiful mushroom, especially when young. It is also an edible. 
(Above the text: Phallus indusiatus, the Veiled Stinkhorn)

An article in Discover magazine reports that Kelli Hoover and Michael Grove from Pennsylvania State University have just discovered one of the genes – LdMNPV – thatBaculovirus uses to control its moth hosts. After infection by the virus the moth will climb to a high place, ideally suited for the virus to spread its spores after the moth is killed in this prime location.

Many Cordyceps species direct their victims into locations that are optimal for host digestion and spore dispersal - i.e. Ophiocordyceps unilateralis, and they might use similar strategies as described in this interesting article. Don't forget to check out the links at the bottom of the article.

Reference: Hoover, K., M. Grove, M. Gardner, D.P. Hughes, J. McNeil and J. Slavicek. 2011. A gene for an extended phenotype. Science 333: 1401. 

The final version of my paper "Caterpillar Fungus (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) Production and Sustainability on the Tibetan Plateau and in the Himalayas" has been published in Asian Medicine 5 (2009), p. 291–316.
This paper has been published before in Chinese Journal of Grassland vol. 32 Suppl. p. 96-108. However, the printed version was already outdated before it was published in June 2010 and I had an updated version online that was last update June 11, 2010.

The latest version to be downloaded here, last reviewed in March 2011 was unfortunately published as "2009".

 Here a twin yartsa gunbu known in Amdo Tibetan as "Tongbu ranyi" (=1000 bu horn two), better translated as "two fruiting bodies occurring once among a thousand yartsa gunbu".