Ergot Essay examples -- Botany

Ergot Ergot (Claviceps purpurea Tul.) is a poisonous fungus that is hazardous to animals and humans. It appears to be a small, hard, black, elongated structure that grows on and contaminants grains, which is called scelrotium. The appearance tends to look like mold. When eaten in quantity or small amounts over a period of time it can be highly toxic. Furthermore, it is a major problem for humans in North America but even more severe for animals. Humans are susceptible to being contaminated with this poisonous fungus because ergot can grow on mushrooms, rye, wheat, and barley. These are products that humans ingest everyday. Ergot is the most notorious poison because it includes several species of ascomycete fungi with complex life cycles that parasitize the grains of various cultivated and wild grasses. Therefore, it is necessary to check for ergot contamination, especially if they are home-grown grains. The epidemic or spreading phase of the ergot fungus occurs at the same time the grasses are in flower. Fungal spores infect the ovaries of the mature flower of the host plant. These develop mycelia (fine threadlike filaments). At this initial infection an excretion of honeydew (moist, sticky secretion) stage, develops and the mycelia continue to grow within the ovaries of the host and become sclerotia (fruiting bodies). A sclerotium appears as a cylindrical, three sided body, slightly curved, hornlike, hard, grooved on one or both sides, dark purple next to black that is 1/3 to 1 1/2 inches long and 1/8 to 1/4 inches wide. There is a very unpleasant aroma (odor), which is somewhat fishy. The developed sclerotia finally falls to the ground to germinate in the summer at once or may wait until after the winter and germinate the ... ...y resulting in poisoning of animals by plants, in this instance has the opposite effect. It allows pasture grasses to develop an inflorescence and become potentially dangerous (86-87). REFERENCES Fuller, Thomas, and Elizabeth McClintock (1986). Poisonous Plants of California. Berkley, LA: University of California Press. p. 15-20. Kingsbury, John M. (1964a). Poisonous plants of the United Canada States and. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. p. 79-86. Kingsbury, John M. (1968b). Harvest. New York, Chicago, San Francisco: Holt Rinehart and Winston. P. 34-37. Morton, Julia F.D.Sc. (1977). Major Medicinal Plants Botany, Culture, and Uses. USA, Springfield: Charles C. Thomas Publisher. P. 4-9. Szezawinski, Adam PhD, and Nancy J. Turner. (1991). Common Poisonous Plants and Mushrooms of North America. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 64-66. Ergot Essay examples -- Botany Ergot Ergot (Claviceps purpurea Tul.) is a poisonous fungus that is hazardous to animals and humans. It appears to be a small, hard, black, elongated structure that grows on and contaminants grains, which is called scelrotium. The appearance tends to look like mold. When eaten in quantity or small amounts over a period of time it can be highly toxic. Furthermore, it is a major problem for humans in North America but even more severe for animals. Humans are susceptible to being contaminated with this poisonous fungus because ergot can grow on mushrooms, rye, wheat, and barley. These are products that humans ingest everyday. Ergot is the most notorious poison because it includes several species of ascomycete fungi with complex life cycles that parasitize the grains of various cultivated and wild grasses. Therefore, it is necessary to check for ergot contamination, especially if they are home-grown grains. The epidemic or spreading phase of the ergot fungus occurs at the same time the grasses are in flower. Fungal spores infect the ovaries of the mature flower of the host plant. These develop mycelia (fine threadlike filaments). At this initial infection an excretion of honeydew (moist, sticky secretion) stage, develops and the mycelia continue to grow within the ovaries of the host and become sclerotia (fruiting bodies). A sclerotium appears as a cylindrical, three sided body, slightly curved, hornlike, hard, grooved on one or both sides, dark purple next to black that is 1/3 to 1 1/2 inches long and 1/8 to 1/4 inches wide. There is a very unpleasant aroma (odor), which is somewhat fishy. The developed sclerotia finally falls to the ground to germinate in the summer at once or may wait until after the winter and germinate the ... ...y resulting in poisoning of animals by plants, in this instance has the opposite effect. It allows pasture grasses to develop an inflorescence and become potentially dangerous (86-87). REFERENCES Fuller, Thomas, and Elizabeth McClintock (1986). Poisonous Plants of California. Berkley, LA: University of California Press. p. 15-20. Kingsbury, John M. (1964a). Poisonous plants of the United Canada States and. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc. p. 79-86. Kingsbury, John M. (1968b). Harvest. New York, Chicago, San Francisco: Holt Rinehart and Winston. P. 34-37. Morton, Julia F.D.Sc. (1977). Major Medicinal Plants Botany, Culture, and Uses. USA, Springfield: Charles C. Thomas Publisher. P. 4-9. Szezawinski, Adam PhD, and Nancy J. Turner. (1991). Common Poisonous Plants and Mushrooms of North America. Portland, Oregon: Timber Press. p. 64-66.