POISONOUS PLANTS 319 



weather " by thrushes ; he also noticed that pheasants 

 frequently eat the berries. 



GRAMINE^E 



Darnel (Loliuni temulentum L.) was formerly a fairly 

 common plant in cornfields. It is an annual much resem- 

 bling L. perenne (Ryegrass), but without stolons, and the 

 spikelets are similarly placed edgeways on the flowering 

 stem, in this respect differing from Triticum repens 

 (Couch Grass). The empty outer glume generally 

 exceeds the spikelet in length, this point effectively dis- 

 tinguishing it from Z. perenne.. It attains to 2 feet in 

 height, and flowers from June to August (Fig. 90). The 

 whole plant is quite suitable as food for stock before 

 the seeding stage is reached, only the grain being 

 poisonous, and this not invariably so. It is harmful 

 both to men and animals, though it has been eaten in 

 the form of bread with impunity, and Henslow says 

 that " Though poisonings have been frequent, deaths 

 have been rare." The poisonous properties are due 

 to the presence of a small fungus in the seed ; it is said 

 that the dangerous properties are most conspicuous in 

 wet seasons. Great care should be taken that the seeds 

 of Darnel are not ground up with wheat into flour, 

 while equal care should be observed that none are sown 

 with seed corn. 



FUNGI ASCOMYCETES 



Ergot (Claviceps purpurea Tul.) is a fungus which is 

 parasitic on rye and various grasses. It has frequently 

 been accused of causing abortion among cows, which 

 have ingested it with the plants which it attacks. Some 



