Nature Atlas

How Nature Works
Sign In
Text size
100%
Theme
Specy

Ergot

Fungi

Claviceps purpurea is an ergot fungus that grows on the ears of rye and related cereal and forage grasses. Its hardened resting structure, the ergot sclerotium, can contaminate harvested grain, and consuming contaminated grain or seed can cause ergotism in humans and other mammals. The fungus most commonly affects outcrossing cereal species such as rye, along with triticale, wheat and barley, and only rarely affects oats.

Facts
Classification
Diet
Parasitic 2
System (Realm)
Terrestrial 3
System (Realm)
Freshwater 3
System (Realm)
Marine 3
Relationship to People
Farmed or Commercially Raised 1
Identification
Distinguishing Appearance
Forms a hard, dry resting body (Sclerotium clavus) inside the husk of the grass floret. 1
Comparison
NatureServe Rank
GNR Unranked 4
Scientific Name
Claviceps purpurea 1
Conservation Status
Not Evaluated 5
Connections

Child Taxon Of

Ascomycota, Taxa
Source Catalogue of Life

In Biome

Salt Marsh, Biomes
Source Claviceps purpurea, Wikipedia
In the Other Atlases

Same As

Also in Agriculture and Farming Atlas: the same subject.

Also in Divinity Atlas: the same subject.

Found In

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Also in Geography Atlas: where this subject is found.

Sources
1. Claviceps purpurea, Wikipedia
  • Lead paragraph
    Claviceps purpurea is an ergot fungus that grows on the ears of rye and related cereal and forage plants.
  • Life cycle
    Later, the Sphacelia segetum convert into a hard dry Sclerotium clavus inside the husk of the floret.
  • Section: Life cycle
    Ergot infection causes a reduction in the yield and quality of grain and hay produced, and if infected grain or hay is fed to livestock it may cause a disease called ergotism.
  • Section: Culture; begins "Agricultural production of Claviceps purpurea on"
    Agricultural production of Claviceps purpurea on rye is used to produce ergot alkaloids.
  • In Biome: Salt Marsh, Intraspecific variations
    G1-land grasses of open meadows and fields; G2-grasses from moist, forest, and mountain habitats; G3 (Claviceps purpurea var. spartinae), salt marsh grasses (Spartina, Distichlis).
View the Source
2. FUNGuild: FUNGuild fungal guild database
FUNGuildRecord: Claviceps purpurea
Quote, Record: Claviceps purpurea
"taxon":"Claviceps purpurea" ... "trophicMode":"Pathotroph"
View the Source
3. GBIF Species API
GBIF Species APIView the Source
4. NatureServe Explorer: Claviceps purpurea
NatureServe ExplorerGlobal rank (roundedGRank)
Quote, Global rank (roundedGRank)
"roundedGRank": "GNR"
View the Source
5. GBIF (IUCN Red List category): GBIF IUCN Red List category for Claviceps purpurea
GBIF (IUCN Red List category)GBIF taxon key 9378152, category field
Quote, GBIF taxon key 9378152, category field
"category": "NOT_EVALUATED"
View the Source
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species
International Union for Conservation of NatureView the Source
Wikidata: Ergot
Wikidata Q217227, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source
Catalogue of Life
Species 2000 & ITIS Catalogue of LifeChild Taxon Of: AscomycotaView the Source
Comments (0)
No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.