436 



BOTANY OF THE LIVING PLANT 



branching and knotting together of its hyphae, form dense masses 

 stored with nutritive material, hard and dark coloured, called sclerotia. 

 When the rest of the mycelium is killed off by dry or cold weather 



0- 



Fig. 369. 

 a, ft = coniclial stage of Claviceps, developed in the flower of Rye. c= sclerotia 

 replacing the grains of the ear of Rye. d, e= germination of the sclerotia in spring. 

 See Text. (After Tiilasne.) (From Marshall Ward.) 



these remain uninjured, and may germinate, forming at first fresh 

 superficial mycelium and conidia ; but, later on, outgrowths may 

 spring directly from them, as in some species of Peziza, w^hich bear 

 broad disc-like fruits. Those Ascomycetes which have such flat open 

 fruits are ranked as Discomycetes (Fig. 368). The most notorious 

 sclerotia are those of Claviceps purpurea, the Ergot of Rye, a fungus 



