Ergot / Summer / Autumn / Toxic
Ergot (Claviceps purpurea) is a fascinating yet highly toxic fungus that grows on the seeds of grasses and cereal crops, particularly rye. Recognised by its dark, horn-like growths protruding from grain heads, Ergot has a long and notorious history—once responsible for mass poisonings in medieval Europe and even linked to theories about historical witch trials due to its hallucinogenic properties.
While it has been used in medicine in controlled forms, wild Ergot is dangerous and should never be consumed.
Scientific Name
Claviceps purpureaÂ
Common Names
Ergot
Family
Clavicipitaceae
Habitat
It is a parasitic fungus, and it’s widespread, it can be found on many untreated cereal crops such as barley, wheat and oats and also on wild grass seed heads. Rye and ryegrasses are particularly susceptible.
Description
One of the most fascinating fungi around if you ask me, although not one I’d recommend eating. There are so many different stories and facts about it and it’s a great illustration of how some things can be toxic and useful at the same time.
Identifying Features of Ergot:Â
Their life cycles are complex, the spores are spread by the wind to nearby open flowers of grasses and cereals. The spores germinate in the flower, infecting the ovaries. This infection leads to the production of secondary spores (conidia) encased in a sweet-smelling, sticky liquid often called honeydew. The honeydew attracts insects that carry the spores to other flowers.
The fungus then grows in place of the grain to form hard, purple-black sclerotium, known as an ergot. They can be quite large, up to 2 cm in length, and are very obvious in contaminated grains.
They are either harvested with the grain or fall to the ground where they remain dormant. In the following spring, they germinate and produce mushroom-shaped spore bearing structures (stroma) and the whole cycle starts again.
Removal of ergot bodies is done by placing the yield in a brine solution; the bodies float, while the healthy grains sink. Infested fields must be deep-ploughed; they cannot germinate if buried more than one inch in soil and therefore will not release its spores into the air.
Known hazards
They contain a number of highly poisonous and psychoactive alkaloids, including lysergic acid (LSD), which was synthesised from the ergot fungus in 1938 by chemist Albert Hoffmann.
Since humans first began cultivating cereal grains such as wheat, rye, barley, and oats, they have been susceptible to ergot poisoning. This fungus has devastated crops and European societies for many centuries.
When made into bread or other products such as barley beer, it causes ergotism. This causes convulsions, muscle spasms, vomiting, hallucinations, and a gangrenous pain where the victim’s limbs, fingers, toes, and nose were “eaten up by the holy fire that blackened like charcoal”.
Julius Caesar lost legions of soldiers to poisoning during his campaigns in Gaul. Severe epidemics in France between 900 AD and 1300 AD killed between 20,000 to 50,000 people, leaving the nation susceptible to invasions that eventually toppled this Holy Roman kingdom. During the Middle Ages, poisoning due to the consumption of bread made from ergot-infected grain was common in Europe. These epidemics were known as Saint Anthony’s fire (named after The Hospital Brothers of St. Anthony, an order of monks who specialised in treating ergotism victims) or Devil’s curse.
From the 14–17th century, there were several outbreaks of the so-called “dancing plague” in parts of Europe. This caused people to uncontrollably dance or convulse for days at a time, sometimes resulting in injury or even death. Again it is thought to be responsible.
Some believe it may be partly responsible for the witch trials in the UK and the Salem witch trials in America.
Fewer outbreaks have occurred since then owing to grain being carefully monitored. However, a severe outbreak of poisoning occurred in France, in 1951 resulted in five deaths.
Uses of Ergot
Despite its toxicity, people have historically used this as a medicine. People noticed that pregnant pigs that ate this went into premature labour, which led to midwives using it on humans. Its use became more mainstream in the 1800’s when doctors began to use it to speed up labour, and in the 20th century, scientists isolated specific ergot alkaloids and turned them into drugs.The main 2 being ergotamine and ergometrine. Ergotamine is a treatment for migraine. Ergometrine is a drug that constricts blood vessels and it’s mainly used to prevent bleeding after childbirth. Researchers are investigating the use of ergot-based medications to treat Parkinson’s disease and dementia.
Ergots Potential lookalikes
They are pretty distinctive. I’d imagine the only things they could be confused with are other members of the Clavicipitaceae family.
Extra Notes
Although classed as a parasitic species some believe that it might provide protection for the host plant against herbivores and therefore be a mutulist. One study shows that the frequency of infected plants was higher in sheep pastures than surrounding ungrazed areas.
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