Tag: secale cor

Ergot is a fungus, from family Clavicepitaceae, botanical name being Claviceps purpura. Secale Cor is made from the plant Rye infected by Claviceps. Rye is a grass that produced Rye was first cultivated rather late in human history, perhaps as recently as 2000 to 3000 years ago. It is still grown extensively in northern Europe and Asia. It lacks the proteins that make wheat suitable for living, and rye bread is denser and usually darker than the wheat bread, hence called Black Bread.

Ergot appears as black grain size fungal structures. In late spring , these ergots germinate and form tiny spore producing mushroom like structures. Infectious spores are carried by wind currents to the host during the flowering stage. Infection of the cereal flowers may produce a secondary phase called Honeydew. Honeydew is a shiny sticky liquid that oozes from infected flowers and contains large numbers of ergot spores. The spores spread to adjacent flowers and heads by insects and rain splash particularly to the open flowers of rye. Ergot that germinate in June can infect early flowering weed grasses, which produce honeydew when cereals are flowering.

It gives out a sickening heavy smell. Its colour is externally purplish black. Internally it is pinkish white. It has a nauseous and slightly acrid taste.
After an overdose of ergot or medications derived from ergot or from eating flour milled from ergot infected rye, humans and livestock may develop ergotism, a condition sometimes called as St. Anthony’s Fire. The symptoms include Convulsions, Miscarriages and Dry Gangrene and may be Death. It contains the crystalline alkaloid Ergotamine, Ergotinine and the amorphous alkaloid Ergotoxine.