Cordyceps: Meaning (information, definition, explanation, facts)

Cordyceps is a genus of Ascomycete fungi, the most famous of which is the Vegetable Caterpillar. All Cordyceps species are parasitic, mostly on insects and other arthropods; a few are parasitic on other fungi. The mycelium invades and eventually replaces the host tissue, while the fruiting body may be cylindrical, branched, or of very complex shape.