and some other Grasses. 457 



As the ergot enlarges, there does not appear to be a corresponding increase 

 in the production of sporidia, but rather a diminution ; for when it has at- 

 tained a size sufficient to protrude beyond the palea3, it has given over sup- 

 porting any longer the increase of the reproductive particles which occupy 

 its surface, and seemingly infected with something communicated by, or abs- 

 tracted from, these bodies, grows with rapidity in a diseased condition, and 

 in a short time emerges beyond the palese with apparently few of the sporidia 

 on its exterior; those that existed in the young state being now either de- 

 tached from external causes, or spread over a larger surface. 



When a transverse section is made before the ergot protrudes beyond the 

 palese, its consistence is found to have become more solid, still, however, pre- 

 senting a sinuous or lobed margin ; and immediately within the external bor- 

 der, which is composed of sporidia agglutinated to the diseased grain, there 

 begins to appear a purplish line, which is gradually shaded off inwardly till it 

 merges into a brownish white centre. 



After the ergot has shown itself beyond the palese the growth is still ra- 

 pidly proceeding, and it soon attains a size varying in different grasses from 

 a fifth of an inch to one inch and a half. This part of the growth is accom- 

 plished in a very short period of time, as Philippar mentions that he observed 

 some particular ears of rye having no visible ergots, when in eight or ten 

 days subsequently he found the same plants had then perfect ones upon them. 

 At this period its surface begins to be deprived of the white coating of spo- 

 ridia, a few only remaining in flaky patches, which give to it the "sub-pruinose" 

 appearance mentioned as one of the characters of the genus Spermoedla, and 

 the purple coat that formerly was concealed underneath it, is now its outer- 

 most covering, and begins to lose its lobed and furrowed surface from being 

 distended by the development of the central part : at this period, though the 

 ergot is in a great part exposed, it has not lost all traces of the stigmas or of 

 the scales, but they are now become shrivelled, and its apex is surmounted by 

 an appendage* (to which Phoebus applies the term " miitzchen," bearing the 

 remains of the hairy crown observable on the healthy grain, and which Le- 

 veille considers as the fungus which produces the ergot. 



The transverse section at this period presents a firm slice, which, when 



* See Tab. XXXII. fig. 9. 

 3 o 2 



