17 18 



binucleate oblftng cells scattered among them. It vvas supposed to te the 



immediate cause of ergot and Que eke tt gave to it the name Brg:otetia 



ahortifaciens, while Berkley and Broome (2®) believed it to be a true 



Oidium and removed it to that genus under the name 0. abortifaciens . 



Ergot on accoxint of the nature of its de:?elopment, has been 

 placed in at least three different families. First it appears as a 

 hyphoncrcGte in the form of Sphacelia segetum 3lev., then the real ergot is 

 produced which is laiown under the name of Sclerotium clavus D. C, ■ ..b'- 

 This develops finally into an ascigerous state, Claviceps Tul., which 

 belongs to the Pyrenomycetes. The fungus passes, therefore, during its 

 life history through the types of not less than tliree families, according 

 to the old classification of fungi. 



Morphology 

 Sclerotium 



Upon examination of a head of ergctized rrye v/e find one or more 

 of the rye kernels replaced by blackish horn- like bodies. Upon removing 

 one of these it may be noted that its production has not materially injured 

 the spike and that its growth has been eonfined to the flower from which 

 it was taken. These ergot sclerotia, especially when small in size, resemble 

 in form the kernels of the host on vjhich they are found, except that they are 

 more or less irregular. They are long, twice or tliree times as long and 

 stout as the normal seed, extended, usually curved, somewhat angular, 

 longitudinally corrugated, minutely granular and often slightly split both 

 transversely and' longitudinally, the cracks shBBttmas showing a reddisk 

 ne-rgin, and exposing the whitish interior substance of the sclerotium. 



