SECALE COKNUTUM. 743 



gradually throw out little white heads. These increase in size, whilst 

 the outer layers of the neighbouring tissue gradually lose their firmness 

 and become soft and rather granular, at the same time that the cells, of 

 which they are made up, become empty and extended. In the interior 

 of the ergot, the cells retain their oil drops unaltered. The heads 

 assume a greyish-yellow colour, changing to purple, and finally after 

 some weeks stretch themselves towards the light on slender shining 

 stalks of a pale violet colour. The stalks often attain an inch in length, 

 with a thickness of about h a line. They consist of thin, parallel, 

 closely felted cell-threads, devoid of fat oil. Ergot is susceptible of this 

 further development only so long as it is fresh, that is to say, at most 

 until the next flowering time of rye. Within this period however, even 

 fragments are capable of development. There are sometimes also pro- 

 duced colourless threads of mould which belong to other fungi, as 

 Verticillium cylindrosporum Corda, and which frequently overgrow 



the Claviceps.^ ■. ii i* i 



At the point where the stalk joins the spherical or somewhat flattened 

 head, the latter is depressed and surrounds the stalk with an annular 

 border. After a short time there appear on the surfaceof the head, 

 which is T-V of an inch in diameter, a number of brownish warts, in 

 which are the openings of minute cavities, the conceptacuia or 

 perithecia. On transverse section, they appear arranged radially round 

 the circumference of the head. In each cavity are a large number or 

 delicate sacs, only 3-5 mkm. thick, and about 100 mkm Jong, the tk^ 

 or asci, each containing, as is usual in fungi, 8 spores. These are simpio 

 thread-shaped cells, filled with a homogeneous solid mass. 



The thicker ends of the spore-sacs (asci) open while «*! ^ ™"J„^ 

 .perithecium; the spores issue united in a bundle, ^^^^/^f X^^'^^eJ^^t 

 the aperture of the perithecium. In consequence of .«'^"- !°^™] 

 glutinous consistence,'they remain united Zlf^J^oZS'^^^-^ 

 form white silky flocks; their number in the 20 or ^0 i^f^J ^ ^j^^,^^. 

 produced from a single ergot, often exceeds a milhon.i n ^ _ 



selves die in two or three weeks after they have b^f ^;? ^'^^ .phis 

 appearance. They represent the true fr"ctifacation ol tne g ^ 

 state of the plant Appears to have been ^''^t en ntlv known as 

 Schumacher, 4ho called it SphceHa; it was ^"J^^;"^,,,^^^ it to 

 Gordiceps, Cordyliceps, Kentrosporiim, etc., until Tulasne pr 



oe the final stage of development of ergot. , mvcelium, 



^^ The three difl^erent forms of this ^t™^^'^}'';' J'^/^rely successive 

 the ergot, and the fruit-bearing heads, are the^f/^ ;^g be/n appropri- 

 states of one and the same biennial tuDgus, ^ hich "^J r>mmrea. The 

 ately united by Tulasne under the name of '''^^f f^* {^J^ nuinber of 

 laiddle stage forms the sderotmm, which occurs ^^"^j^ggg plants, 

 t^e most various fungi, and is a special state oi _ ^^ ^^^^ ^^^i^. 



The direct proof that the mycelium is produced from spo 



. 1^ u-inter of 1SC9-T0, «ari<-<;>», 



, ' Ergot of rye collected by my.elf in -E*!^ *'the Vee..l.ou.e did -t make^U 



August, placed upon earth in l garden-pot "^^^^ 'Vce b^ore the Uth Maj Ihe 



^ndleft in the open air unprotectid through "^?f"''i„''tance of fuHy '^''^'tC he mh 



the Winter, began to develop the Claviceps easiest ms ^^^^^^^ ^ ,i „ the Utn 



°n he 20th March, and on ai.other occasion 'f,tl'Zve frequently they are seen only 



?n the 20th April, at which date somesowed of J"f/ ,i„„i„g of July.-l • A- 1 • 



n February also begjin to start. Sharp w the be^ 



appears to retard the vegetation; thus, 



