Insect by winter, plant by summer

A family friend recently gave us a bottle of herbal medicine made from cordyceps. For those who don’t know, cordyceps is a hybrid species that is both a plant and an insect. It is attached to an insect (most likely caterpillar) as a sort of parasite that feed on its host. In time, cordyceps will completely consume its victim (mummification). The process usually takes place in the winter. Eventually, it will transform into a mushroom-like plant in the summer months. People harvest these “mushrooms” and sell them on the market. Cordyceps has many health benefits and is very expensive.