Claviceps purpurea (Fr.) Tul. 1853

Spermoedia clavus (DC.) Fries, Syst. Myc. 2 : 268. 1822
Sclerotium Clavus DC. Fl. Fr. 6 : 115. 1815. Sphaeria purpurea Fries, Syst. Myc. 2 : 325. 1823. Sphacelia Segetum L€v. M^m. Soc. lyinn. Paris 5 : 578. 1827. Claviceps purpurea I^. Tul. Ann. Sci. Nat. III. 20 : 45. 1853.
Sclerotia forming in the young ovaries of various species of grasses, at first soft and viscid, at maturity hard, purplish-black externally, whitish within, 1-2 cm. long; stromata often as many as 20-30 from a single sclerotium ; stem very slender, flexuous or spirally twisted and of a dark-brownish color ; head subglobose with the margin partially free, about 1-2 mm. in diameter, reddish-brown in color and roughened by the slightly protruding necks of the perithecia ; perithecia entirely immersed or very slightly protruding, flask-shaped, 150-175 X 200-250 // ; asci very long, cylindric, 100-125 X 4 /i.
In the inflorescence of rye, and of other wild and cultivated grasses. Type LOCALITY : France. also^n^'Fur™'' '' ^^^ ^"'^ *^ Montana and Utah, and probably throughout North America ;
Nat'pfl'fi;^^/2T>--i" ^"^"'' ™''= ^'' '' ^' ^' ^^^-^^yP^1^11^=/.^-^; B. & P. BxsicCATi: Bllis &'Hy. Fungi Columb. 7<52^, 1816, 2216, 2317; D. Griff. W. Am. Fungi 42.