Claviceps purpurea (Fries) Tulasne, 1853
ergot
on grasses
Secale cereale, Loenen, 21.vii.2022 © Arnold Grosscurt

Molinia caerulea, Hoenderloo, Hoge Veluwe: affected plant

detail

sclerotia (with in turn the hyperparasite Fusarium lolii)

Lolium perenne, België, prov. Namen, Leignon © Jean-Yves Baugnée

Phleum pratense, Loenen (Ge) © Arnold Grosscurt
host plants
Poaceae, oligophagous
Agrostis; Alopecurus arundinaceus, geniculatus, pratensis; Ammophila arenaria; Anthoxanthum odoratum; Arrhenatherum elatius; Avena; Brachypodium pinnatum, sylvaticum; Bromopsisinermis; Bromus; Calamagrostis epigeios, varia; Dactylis glomerata; Deschampsia cespitosa; Elymus; Elytrigia atherica, repens; Festuca rubra, valesiaca; Glyceria fluitans; Holcus lanatus, mollis; Hordeum murinum, vulgare; Koeleria pyramidata; Leymus arenarius; Lolium perenne; Molinia caerulea; Nardus stricta; Phalaris canariensis; Phalaroides arundinacea; Phleum pratense; Phragmites australis; Poa; Schedonorus arundinaceus, giganteus, pratensis; Secale cereale; Sesleria alba, caerulea; Spartina anglica; Stipa pekinensis; Trisetum flavescens; Triticum.
Elytrgia atherica and Spartina anglica were found by Lennart van IJzerloo. Only rarely on Avena.
synonyms
Claviceps microcephala (Wallroth) Tulasne, 1853; C. sesleriae Stäger, 1906.
Pažoutová, Pešicová, Chudíčková ao distinguish, mainly on the base of molecular studies, four species within the complex Claviceps purpurea:
Claviceps purpurea sensu stricto, the typical form of, among others, rye, with curved, dark brown to black, 0.3-0.5 cm long sclerotia that sink when placed in fresh water. Mainly on grasses of dry situations.
Claviceps humidiphila Pažoutová & Kolařik, 2015, om grasses of meadows and and moist situations. The sclerotia resemble those of C. purpurea but are often more slender, and they float of fresh water.
Claviceps arundinis Pažoutová & Kolařik, 2015, only on Molinia and Phragmites. The sclerotia are large (0.5-2 cm lang) and float on water.
Claviceps spartinae (Duncan & White) Pažoutová & Kolařik, 2015 on Spartina.
hyperparasites
Fusarium lolii, Neobarya aurantiaca.
references
Blumer (1946a), Buhr (1964a, 1965a), Chinery (2011a), Doppelbaur & Doppelbaur (1973a), Ellis & Ellis (1997a), Gönczö & Révay (1981a), Groom (2011a), Jage, Klenke, Kruse ao (2016a), Jage, Kruse, Kummer ao (2013a), Jage, Scholler & Klenke (2010a), Klenke & Scholler (2015a), Kozłowska, Mułenko & Heluta (2015a), Kruse (2014a, 2019a), Kruse & Jage (2014a), Losa España (1942a), Melgarejo Nárdiz, García-Jiménez, Jordá Gutiérrez ao (2010a, Mułenko, Sałata & Wołczańska (1995a), Negrean (1995a, 1996b), Pažoutová (2002a), Pažoutová, Olšovská, Linka, ao (2000a), Pažoutová, Pešicová, Chudíčková, ao (2015a), Redfern & Shirley (2011a), Roskam (2009a), Ruszkiewicz-Michalska (2006a), Scheuer & Bechter (2012a), Schmid-Heckel (1985a), Scholler & Schubert (1993a), Unamuno (1941a).