Definition

1. Noun:
   • A parasitic fungus: Claviceps purpurea is a species of fungus that infects the flowering heads of various cereal grasses and related plants.
   • Source of compounds: It is the source of several medicinally and historically significant alkaloids, including ergotamine and lysergic acid.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The presence of Claviceps purpurea in the rye crop caused a significant yield loss.
  • Historically, outbreaks of ergotism, a disease caused by consuming grain contaminated with Claviceps purpurea, were common.

Advanced Usage

• Scientific and agricultural context: The term is used almost exclusively in scientific, medical, agricultural, or historical discussions concerning plant pathology, mycology, or the history of medicine.
  • Researchers study the life cycle of Claviceps purpurea to develop strategies for protecting cereal crops.

Variants and Related Words

• Ergot: This is the common name for both the disease caused by the fungus and the hard, dark sclerotium (the compact mass of fungal tissue) produced by .
  • The ergot sclerotia contain potent alkaloids.
• Ergotism: The name of the human and animal disease resulting from the ingestion of alkaloids produced by the fungus.
  • Ergotism, also known as St. Anthony's Fire, has neurological and vasoconstrictive symptoms.

Synonyms

• Ergot fungus: A common synonym referring to the same organism.
• Purple ergot: A descriptive synonym based on its appearance.

Related Phrases

• Ergot alkaloids: A phrase referring to the class of chemical compounds derived from this fungus.
  • Ergot alkaloids are used in pharmaceuticals to treat migraines and induce labor.
• Ergot contamination: A phrase describing the presence of the fungus or its sclerotia in grain.
  • Strict regulations exist to prevent ergot contamination in food supplies.

Related Idioms

(This term is a specific scientific name and is not used in idiomatic expressions.)

Noun

1. a fungus that infects various cereal plants forming compact black masses of branching filaments that replace many grains of the plant; source of medicinally important alkaloids and of lysergic acid