Ergot fungus (Claviceps purpurea) - a spike with sclerotia and a detail of a sclerotium with growing fruitbodies
Claviceps purpurea - ergot fungus - is a fungus belonging among Ascomycota. It parasites especially rye. In the Middle Ages many people got poisoned because of a flour made of cereal infected by Claviceps - the epidemy of this disease - ergotism - was called "St. Anthony´s fire". Claviceps purpurea contains different alkaloids - the most important is ergotamine. These alkaloids found their usage in gynecology (uterine contractions, abortions) and also in psychiatry (LSD).
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Photo credit: © Zuzana Egertova / Alamy / Afripics
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