and some other Grasses. 465 



ergot that occupies this position ought to be certainly no other than the grain, 

 which now ditfers from its healthy condition, from having in its early state 

 supported a parasite which has communicated to it some disease, thereby per- 

 verting the normal state of its structure and development. 



Notwithstanding the several parts of the grain are arranged as described, 

 previous investigators, with the exception of Leveillé, have fallen into the error 

 that the ergot was the fungus itself. Philippar appears to have viewed the 

 matter in this light ; still his expressions are somewhat vague respecting it, for 

 (p. 122, op. cit.) it is stated, " Le grain ergoté, composé d'une substance fon- 

 gique tassé et très étroitement serré, est le réceptacle des séminules, des glo- 

 bules ou bourgeons reproducteurs du champignon." In the same page the 

 following expression is used : " le champignon" — " sortant de l'intérieur de la 

 plante par le rachis ou l'axe des épillets du point réceptaculaire des organes 

 sexuels." And lastly (p. 123), his opinion is given thus: " De tout ceci, je 

 conclus que l'ergot est l'appareil reproducteur du champignon, qui termine 

 ainsi sa végétation." 



The reasons assigned by Philippar for considering it a fungus arise from its 

 situation and from the microscopic examination of its structure, which he de- 

 scribes (p. 113) as beginning in the receptacle of the flower, and lifting up the 

 sexual organs which become diseased but still remain on its apex. It is found, 

 however, that where the palea- are attached, and also the two scales, this 

 part, which must be a receptacle also, is not diseased, as these organs remain 

 undisturbed ; consequently, it can only be the point where the grain and the 

 receptacle unite that could give origin to any body taking the position occu- 

 pied by the ergot. Yet from this point, which is firmly connected with the 

 structure of the young grain, it is most singular that in every kind of grass 

 yet found ergotized this supposed fungus should always burst through the 

 tissue at that particular part, and at that particular time when the flower is 

 about to expand. If it be a fungus, it ought also to burst forth as an ergot 

 from the stem or some otlier place on the several grasses, besides growing be- 

 tween and parting asunder two organs, which were as firmly united to each 

 other, in the young state, as the capsule of the poppy is to its flower-stalk ; 

 moreover, the ergot when matured, like the grain when ripe, slips out of the 

 palese as a ripe filbert from its cupule, showing that it has no more organic 



3 p 2 



