At my workplace part of our business is producing trees that have edible fungi growing on their roots. For those who do not know; trees need a fungi - mycorrhiza - to help locate food and this fungi has a fruiting body, either a mushroom or a puffball, is edible. Not only edible but in some cases greatly sought after!
One day while talking about the uses for fungi, Ergot came to mind. Nobody knew of it, and I have asked around and it seems that I am the only one who remembers about it. That won't be the case, but in my little circle, nobody knows about it.
I only ever heard about it as 'that's what was done in the past'. Ergot is a fungi that grows on ryegrass and cockfoot seed heads. It is like small blackish brown specks. Now this fungi was used to treat burns and help to coagulate blood.
It was easily found on road verges in the countryside and during the war years, it was collected by children as their contribution to the war effort.
Now I do not know any more about it - how much was produced and where most of it came from. All I know is children in the area ot Herbert township used to collect it.
I would be interested if any others have heard about this or have collected it. This is one of those small things that becomes a forgotten part of history.
Funny thing though, if you research Ergot, you will find that it is a source of the drug LSD and as a fungus it is dangerous to ingest. It may also have has a role in the bubonic plague (of all things).
I suspect it is the cause of 'ryegrass staggers' in cattle and this can cause death.
So the collection of Ergot is now a bit of a mystery and something interesting to contemplate.
One day while talking about the uses for fungi, Ergot came to mind. Nobody knew of it, and I have asked around and it seems that I am the only one who remembers about it. That won't be the case, but in my little circle, nobody knows about it.
I only ever heard about it as 'that's what was done in the past'. Ergot is a fungi that grows on ryegrass and cockfoot seed heads. It is like small blackish brown specks. Now this fungi was used to treat burns and help to coagulate blood.
It was easily found on road verges in the countryside and during the war years, it was collected by children as their contribution to the war effort.
Now I do not know any more about it - how much was produced and where most of it came from. All I know is children in the area ot Herbert township used to collect it.
I would be interested if any others have heard about this or have collected it. This is one of those small things that becomes a forgotten part of history.
Funny thing though, if you research Ergot, you will find that it is a source of the drug LSD and as a fungus it is dangerous to ingest. It may also have has a role in the bubonic plague (of all things).
I suspect it is the cause of 'ryegrass staggers' in cattle and this can cause death.
So the collection of Ergot is now a bit of a mystery and something interesting to contemplate.
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