The sclerotium of Xylaria nigripes formed on abandoned termite combs, known as the “cordyceps of the south” and a rare traditional medicine of Sichuan and Yunnan. Cleaned, dried and sliced, it is used for palpitations, insomnia, restlessness and weakness of the spleen and stomach, and is a common raw material for tranquillising Chinese patent medicines. Standardised harvesting and low-temperature drying preserve the polysaccharides and sterols of the sclerotium.
