世界世界上有多少種冬蟲夏草？
蟲草分很多種,分別有冬(dong)蟲夏草(cao)（C. sinensis）、亞香棒蟲草(C.hawkesii)、北蟲草(C. militaris)、涼(liang)山(shan)蟲草(C.liangshanensis)、新疆蟲(chong)草(C.gracilis)、古尼蟲(chong)草(C.gunnii)、分枝(zhi)蟲(chong)草(cao)(cao)、藿(huo)克蟲(chong)草(cao)(cao)、蛹(yong)蟲(chong)草(cao)(cao)、武夷山(shan)蟲(chong)草(cao)(cao)、龍(long)洞(dong)蟲(chong)草(cao)(cao)、張家(jia)界蟲(chong)草(cao)(cao)、大塔頂蟲(chong)草(cao)(cao)、多(duo)殼蟲(chong)草(cao)(cao)、柔(rou)柄蟲(chong)草(cao)(cao)、下垂蟲(chong)草(cao)(cao)、江西(xi)蟲(chong)草(cao)(cao)、山西蟲草(C.shanxiensis)、四(si)川蟲草、尖(jian)頭蟲草、大團蟲(chong)草（C.ophioglossoides）、巴恩蟲(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)、貴州蟲(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)、赤水蟲(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)、革(ge)翅目蟲(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)、泰山蟲草(C.taishanensis)、擬布班克蟲草、珊瑚蟲草、婁山蟲草、巴恩蟲草、鼠尾蟲草、珊瑚蟲草(martialis)、蟬花(hua)(C.sobolifera)、鐮刀狀蟲(chong)草(C.falcata)、綠(lv)核蟲(chong)(chong)草(cao)、澤地(di)蟲(chong)(chong)草(cao)、茂蘭(lan)蟲(chong)(chong)草(cao)、布氏蟲(chong)(chong)草(cao)、高雄山蟲(chong)(chong)草(cao)[淡黃蛹(yong)蟲草(cao)]、球頭蟲(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)、金龜(gui)子蟲(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)、螳螂蟲(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)、沫蟬(chan)蟲(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)、柄殼(ke)蟲(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)、擬(ni)茂蘭蟲(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)、細蟲(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)[黑(hei)錘蟲草]、發絲蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、金(jin)針(zhen)蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、日本(ben)蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、辛克(ke)萊蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、喙殼蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、擬暗綠蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、峨眉蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、粉被(bei)蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、大邑蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、叉尾蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、桫欏蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、蜻蜓蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、蟻(yi)蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、羅伯(bo)茨蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、九(jiu)州(zhou)蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、細柱蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、戴氏(shi)蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、變形(xing)蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、稻(dao)子山蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、雙梭孢蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)、古(gu)尼蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)等很多種(zhong)，廣泛意義上的蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)，目前已發現有(you)報(bao)道的四百多種(zhong)。其中完全野生的冬蟲(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)(chong)夏草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)又被(bei)專業(ye)人士分為青海草(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(cao)(意思為(wei)青海(hai)省境內出產)、藏(zang)草(部分(fen)人(ren)士表述(shu)意(yi)思(si)為西藏(zang)自治區境(jing)內出產)、川草(cao)(意思(si)為四川省境內出產)、甘(gan)肅草。它們無一例外的都生長在海拔3500米以上的雪域(yu)高原的藏(zang)區。
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雖然已發現(xian)的品種繁多，但其中真正具(ju)有(you)藥用價值的只有(you)冬蟲夏草（C. sinensis）一種。
自古我(wo)們華人(ren)醫生(sheng)、藥師和以前(qian)人(ren)們平(ping)時說的蟲(chong)草、冬(dong)蟲(chong)草、夏草冬(dong)蟲(chong)原(yuan)意思是指野(ye)生(sheng)的冬(dong)蟲(chong)夏草（C. sinensis），冬(dong)蟲夏(xia)草(cao)藏藥名是“牙扎更(geng)布”。