18 



Externally, the ergot sclerotia are grayish-violet, soraetimes dark or light 

 violet or grayish-vdiite, teniporarily having a dusty appearance viiiicsh is due 

 to a waxy suhstance on their s\irface« 



HDhe interior of the nature sclerotia is hard, not airoays uni- 

 form in color, but usually \Thtite. 4ften there are in the internal tissue 

 of the sclerotia distinct ndllc white grayish-vdiite or bluish-isJiite stripes. 

 Although EUhn thinks that there can be no distinction between differently 

 colored sclerotia, sohb have tried to classify them according to color as 

 harmful and haimless sclerotia. 



A faint, sickly oftor of canphor is noticeable from fresh ergot, 

 its taste isben raw is slightly bitter and nauseating. 



In size, the sclerotia vary considerably depending first upon 

 the size of the flower glumes in which they are produced, and second upon 

 their member in a single head. The smaller the flowers are the snaller will 

 be the sclerotia. In most cases they are one or two times longer than the 

 flower glumes Although they sometimes may become much longer. In rye they 

 are one to three centimeters long and up to eight millimeters in diameter, 

 Sclerotia from Molinia coerulea are four to six millimeters long and one to 

 one and one-half millimeters thick; from Poa annua they are scarcely three 

 millimeters long; from Poa pratensi s they are never longer than six millimeters 

 On Elymus canadensis they are almost if not fuily as long as on rye. 



Stroma 



After having passed through the resting period, the ergot 

 sclerotium, if put in a moist chamber or planted in moist. soil will develop 

 stromata. These stromata may all appear simultaneously or break through 

 gradtially. By the breaking through of the stromata the outer layer of the 

 sclerotium is pushed up in an irregular form and finally pushed aside. At 

 such points there appear globose, coapact, white bodies which gradually in- 



