- Fungal disease of cereal grassesErgot is a fungal disease of cereal grasses, especially rye, caused by species of the ascomycete fungus Claviceps1. It decreases the production of viable grains by infected plants and can contaminate harvests. The active component in ergot, lysergic acid, was used to create LSD2. The term "ergot" can also refer to the sclerotia that form within grain heads after infection3.Learn more:✕This summary was generated using AI based on multiple online sources. To view the original source information, use the "Learn more" links.ergot, fungal disease of cereal grasses, especially rye, caused by species of the ascomycete fungus Claviceps. The disease decreases the production of viable grains by infected plants and can contaminate harvests.www.britannica.com/science/ergot-fungusErgot is a parasitic fungus that thrives on rye under certain climate conditions—cold winters followed by an especially rainy growing season—and manifests itself as oversized, violet grains protruding from the head of the plant. Lysergic acid, the active component in the fungus, was used to create LSD, which became a popular recreational drug.www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/how-deadl…Ergot is a small-grain disease caused by the fungal pathogen, Claviceps purpurea. The word “ergot” is derived from the French word “argot,” meaning “spur.” The term can also refer to the sclerotia, structures resembling a rooster’s spur, that form within grain heads after infection and displace the developing seed.cropwatch.unl.edu/2017/has-ergot-altered-events-…
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Ergot poisoning: Symptoms, treatment, and history
May 25, 2022 · Ergot is a fungus that can grow on grains and cause toxic effects on the nervous, digestive, and cardiovascular systems. Learn about the history, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of ergot...
In the 1950s, Hundreds of People Started Hallucinating Visions
May 22, 2020 · But many medical specialists and historians agree that it might have been rye ergot fungus, a parasite that latches onto rye crops, but also wheat, barley, oats and wild grass.
Ergotism - Wikipedia
Removal of ergot bodies is done by placing the yield in a brine solution; the ergot bodies float, while the healthy grains sink. Infested fields must be deep-ploughed; ergot cannot germinate if buried more than one inch (2.5 cm) in soil and therefore will not release its spores into the air. Rotating crops using non-susceptible plants helps reduce infestations, since ergot spores live only one year. Crop rotation and deep tillage, such as deep mold-board ploughing, are important com…
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Plants of Mind and Spirit - Ergot - US Forest Service
Ergot is a fungus that infects cereal grains and causes ergotism, a deadly disease with hallucinogenic and gangrenous symptoms. Learn how ergot influenced history, culture, and medicine, from ancient plagues to modern drugs.
Ergot: from witchcraft to biotechnology - PMC - National Center …
Apr 21, 2009 · The ergot diseases of grasses, caused by members of the genus Claviceps, have had a severe impact on human history and agriculture, causing devastating epidemics.
Ergot | Definition, Symptoms, & Ergotism | Britannica
Oct 8, 2024 · Ergot is a fungal disease of cereal grasses, especially rye, that can cause ergotism, a condition with convulsions, hallucinations, and gangrene. Ergot is also the source of drugs for obstetrics, migraine, and LSD.
From Poisoning to Pharmacy: A Tale of Two Ergots
Nov 2, 2018 · Ergotism is a poisoning from ingesting rye infected by the fungus Claviceps purpurea, which produces ergots. Learn how ergot alkaloids cause gangrenous or convulsive ergotism, and how they have been used for …
How Deadly Bread Bewitched a French Village | Smithsonian
Oct 27, 2011 · Ergot is a parasitic fungus that thrives on rye under certain climate conditions—cold winters followed by an especially rainy growing season—and manifests itself …
St. Anthony's Fire - World History Encyclopedia
Jul 17, 2020 · St. Anthony's Fire, also known as holy fire or internal fire, is a form of ergotism caused by eating moldy rye grain. Learn about the symptoms, history and treatment of this medieval illness that plagued Europe for centuries.