Contents:
Common Names | Parts Usually Used | Plant(s) & Culture | Where Found | Medicinal Properties
Legends, Myths and Stories | Uses | Warning | Bibliography
Scientific Names
- Claviceps purpurea L.
- Fungus family
Common Names
- Cockspur rye
- Hornseed
- Mother of rye
- Smut rye
- Spurred rye
Parts Usually Used
Dried sclerotia
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Description of Plant(s) and
Culture
Ergot is a fungus which replaces the seeds of the rye plant (Secale cornatum). It takes the form of black or purplish-black, crooked grains or “spurs”, called sclerotia, about 3/4 to 1 1/2 inches long and 1/10 to 2/10 inch thick. It has a nauseous odor and a disagreeable taste.
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Where Found
Found on fungus infected rye plants.
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Medicinal Properties
Abortifacient, emmenagogue, hemostatic, oxytocic, vasoconstrictor
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Legends, Myths and Stories
As rye does not grow in China, true ergot is not found there.
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Uses
Medicinal preparations, such as ergotamine, are made from ergot; are useful in contracting the uterine muscles, particularly after delivery to prevent hemorrhage, and have also been used for menstrual difficulties. One ergot derivative, ergotamine tartrate, helps to relieve migraine headaches and cluster headaches by constricting the swollen blood vessels causing the pain. Ergot is also a source of LSD.
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Warning
Do not use without proper medical supervision.
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Bibliography
The Herb Book
Chinese Medicinal Herbs
The Nature Doctor: A Manual of Traditional and Complementary Medicine
Webster’s New World Dictionary
Webster’s New World Medical Dictionary
