Cordyceps militaris - Genetics

Scientific Name: Cordyceps militaris

Common Names: Caterpillar mushroom

Description:  A potent medicinal mushroom used in Chinese medicine to increase energy, stamina, and immune function.  Cordyceps species naturally colonize and fruit from their own matching insect species, killing the insect in the process.  As a result these mushrooms fruit from smaller containers of substrate, and require more control over environmental conditions and greater supplementation which can lead to contamination.  Cordyceps is an Ascomycota , unlike the other edible and medicinal mushrooms we offer which are Basidiomycota.  The fruitbodies are vibrant orange and resemble clusters of slender fingers.  Cordyceps is used in teas, tinctures and capsules, but is tender enough to be used in cooking, though many fruitbodies would be required to make a meal.

Growth Conditions

Petri Dish, Slant, or Liquid Culture
Growth Medium: Malt extract or potato water agar
Temperature: 21 deg C

Spawn Run
Growth Medium:  supplemented rice
Temperature: 21 deg C
Bag Filter Type: "T" * Use small jars instead of bags for fruiting

Primordia Formation
Temperature:  16-19 deg C
Humidity: 95-100 %
Time (days): 3-4 weeks
Light (Lux): 400-600 lux (16 hr on 8 hr off)

Fruit-body Growth

Temperature:  16-19 deg C
Humidity: 80-95 %
Time: 1-2 weeks 

Light: 400-600 lux (16 hr on 8 hr off)

Harvest Hint:  Cordyceps should be grown with much thinner substrate (only half inch thick) instead of an almost cubic sawdust block, like the wood decomposing mushrooms.  Light and temperature in the growing jar, bin, or bag must be controlled, but humidity and oxygen will be at the proper level without cutting the bag open or any adjustment (keep the growing room humidity 60-70 % to prevent bags drying quickly while keeping it dry enough to inhibit growth of contaminants).  The mushrooms can grow up to 4 inches long, often reaching the top of a small mason jar before sporulating.  At maturity bumps at the tips of the mushroom fingers enlarge, and at this point the fruitbodies must be harvested.