claviceps purpurea

3 definitions found

claviceps purpurea - Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :

  Sclerotium \Scle*ro"ti*um\, n.; pl. Sclerotia. [NL., fr. Gr.
     sklhro`s hard.]
     1. (Bot.) A hardened body formed by certain fungi, as by the
        Claviceps purpurea, which produces ergot.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. (Zool.) The mature or resting stage of a plasmodium.
        [1913 Webster]

  Ergot \Er"got\, n. [F. ergot, argot, lit., a spur.]
     1. A diseased condition of rye and other cereals, in which
        the grains become black, and often spur-shaped. It is
        caused by a parasitic fungus, Claviceps purpurea.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     2. The mycelium or spawn of this fungus infecting grains of
        rye and wheat. It is a powerful remedial agent, and also a
        dangerous poison, and is used as a means of hastening
        childbirth, and to arrest bleeding.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Far.) A stub, like soft horn, about the size of a
        chestnut, situated behind and below the pastern joint.
        [1913 Webster]
  
     4. (Anat.) See 2d Calcar, 3
        (b) .
            [1913 Webster]

claviceps purpurea - WordNet (r) 2.1 (2005) :

  Claviceps purpurea
      n 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 [syn: ergot, Claviceps purpurea
           ]