冬虫夏草

Traditional form:

冬蟲夏草

Pinyin (reading):

dōngchóng-xiàcǎo

Definitions:

• caterpillar fungus (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) (The fungus grows within the body of a caterpillar, culminating in the emergence of a stalked fruiting body from the caterpillar's head, and is a much-prized and expensive ingredient used as a tonic in traditional Chinese medicine.)

Characters:

• 冬 - winter, 11th lunar month
• 虫 - insect, worm; mollusk
• 夏 - summer; the Xia or Hsia dynasty
• 草 - grass, herbs; straw, thatch

Traditional characters:

• 冬 - winter, 11th lunar month
• 蟲 - insect, worm; mollusk
• 夏 - summer; the Xia or Hsia dynasty
• 草 - grass, herbs; straw, thatch