744 FUNGI. 



head sown on ears of rye, was supplied by Klihn in 1863. It has 

 already been mentioned that the same organism is produced from 

 eonidia ; whence it appears that a twofold formation of ergot is possible, 

 as is frequently the case in other fungi. 



Description — Spurred rye, as found in commerce, consists of fusi- 

 form grains, which it is convenient to term ergots. They are from \ to 

 1\ inch in length, and J to 4 lines in diameter; their form is subcylin- 

 drical or obtusely prismatic, tapering towards the ends, generally arched, 

 with a longitudinal furrow on each side. At the apex of each ergot, 

 there is often a small whitish easily detached appendage, while the 

 opposite extremity is somewhat rounded. The ergots are firm, horny, 

 somewhat elastic, have a close fracture, are brittle when dry, yet difficult 

 to pulverize. The whitish interior is frequently laid bare by deep 

 transverse cracks. The tissue is but imperfectly penetrated by water, 

 even the thinnest sections swelling but slightly in that fluid. 



Ergot of rye has a peculiar offensive odour, and a mawkish, rancid 

 taste. It is apt to become deteriorated by keeping, especially when 

 pulverized, partly from oxidation of the oil, and partly from the attacks 

 of a mite of the genus Trombidium. To assist its preservation, it should 

 be thoroughly dried, and kept in closed bottles. 



Microscopic Structure — In fully developed ergot, no organs can 

 be distinguished. It consists of uniform, densely felted tissue of short, 

 thread-like, somewhat thick-walled cells, which are irregularly packed, 

 and so intimately matted together that it is only by prolonged boiling 

 of thin slices with potash, and alternate treatment with acids and 

 ether, that the individual cells can be made evident. Without such 

 treatment, the cells even in the thinnest sections, show a somewhat 

 rounded, nearly isodiametric outline. This pseudo-parenchyrae of ergot 

 exhibits therefore an aspect somewhat different from that of the loosely 

 felted cells Qiyphce) of other fungi. Ergot nevertheless is not made up 

 of cells differing from those of fungi generally. If thin longitudinal 

 slices of the innermost tissue are allowed to remain in a solution of 

 chromic acid containing about 1 per cent., they will distinctly show the 

 hyphcB, which are however considerably shorter than those of other 

 fungi. They contain numerous drops of fat oil, but neither starch nor 

 crystals. It is remarkable that this nearly empty and not much 

 thickened parenchyme should form so compact and solid a tissue. 



The cell- walls of the tissue of ergot are not coloured blue, even 

 after prolonged treatment with iodine in solution of potassium iodide ; 

 or when the tissue has been previously treated with sulphuric acid, or 

 kept for days in contact with potash and absolute alcohol at 100° C. 

 In this respect the cellulose of fungi differs from that of phanerogamic 

 plants. 



Of the outermost rows of cells in ergot, a few only are of a violet 

 colour, but they are not otherwise distinguishable from the colourless 

 tissue, — or at most by the somewhat greater thickness of their walls. 



Chemical Composition — The composition of ergot has been 

 elaborately investigated by Wiggers as early as 1830. The drug 

 contains about 30 per cent, of a non-drying, yellowish oil, 

 chiefly consisting of olein, palmitin, and small proportions of 

 volatile fatty acids, especially acetic and butyric, combined with 



