Mushroom Cordyceps is not a true mushroom but is a closely related parasitic fungi. However, since it has been described as a medicinal mushroom in ancient Chinese and Tibetan medical texts, it still appears as "mushroom" in modern medical literature and is casually referred to as such by most modern herbalists. When it comes to mushrooms, the fruit body has several benefits, but there are also several benefits to mycelium, and the combination is highly complementary. The fungus got its name from the Greek words kordýlē and cephali, which mean "club" and "head," respectively. This is a reference to the organism’s appearance and growth habit as it emerges from its underground host.