Ultra Cordyceps contains a strain of pure cultivated Cordyceps sinensis recognized by the Chinese government as very similar to wild Cordyceps sinensis. Highly valued in China as a food and tonic herb, wild Cordyceps is a black, blade-shaped fungus found mainly above 13,000 feet in a mountainous region of China known as the Qinghai-Tibetan Highlands. Also called "Chinese caterpillar fungus," wild Cordyceps grows on, and derives nutrients from, several species of caterpillars. Because wild Cordyceps is rare and difficult to harvest, due to its harsh growing environment, efforts have been made to cultivate Cordyceps mycelia for commercial application. Ultra Cordyceps contains an award-winning strain of cultivated Cordyceps mycelia standardized by HPLC for consistent potency. It contains a minimum level of 8% cordycepic acid, a polysaccharide considered to be the major active component. Cordyceps naturally contains many other ingredients, including proteins, peptides, polysaccharides, nucleic acids such as adenosine, fatty acids, sterols, vitamins and minerals.