5/31/15

Ophiocordyceps sinensis or Caterpillar Fungus



Whoa! A blog post. I have been absent from my blog since I became engrossed with gardening. What an awesome activity. I get to plant something and watch it grow. It is a great test of patience but I am learning. I did start a Moleskine journal consisting of mushroom illustrations and have been posting them on Instagram. I like Instagram. It is lazy and impersonal. Oh yes, I have been studying mushrooms, though it has slowed down because of June. June is the last month of our fiscal year and so many of my projects at work are being implemented. Hope you are all well and safe.




Ophiocordyceps sinensis or Caterpillar Fungus, is a fungus that infects and parasitizes a species of ghost moth caterpillars found mainly on the Tibetan plateau. This fungus is highly valued in Traditional Chinese Medicine and its high demand and price have caused ecology issues in the Tibetan plateau and Ophiocordyceps sinensis to be considered a threatened species. 



2 comments:

Bella Sinclair said...

Ewwwww! Ewwww!!! I cannot imagine eating those. They really do look like caterpillars! All squeamishness aside, it's a fantastic illustration. It deserves the back cover of a botany magazine, like those gorgeous illustrations of fruits and vegetables on the back of Cook's Illustrated. Which reminds me. I read that fewer and fewer people are studying botany these days. That's really too bad. Maybe more would sign up once they saw the wonder in your drawings.

Happy birthday. Tsup!

pieterbie said...

well drawn!
enjoy the gardening!