Claviceps fusiformis is responsible for

Ergot Unlike Aspergillus, ergot is not a storage fungus, but a field fungus. Foodgrains such as bajra, rye, sorghum, and wheat have a tendency to get infested during the flowering stages by the ergot fungus (Claviceps purpurea). Fungus grows as a blackish mass and the seeds become black and irregular and are harvested along with food grains. Consumption of ergot infested grain leads to ergotism. Sporadic outbreaks of ergot poisoning in human population have been repoed from time to time in areas where bajra is consumed as a staple. The symptoms are acute but rarelyfatal and include nausea, repeated vomiting, giddiness and drowsiness extending sometimes for periods upto 24 to 48 hours after the ingestion of ergoty grain. In chronic cases, painful cramps in limbs and peripheral gangrene due to vasoconstriction of capillaries have been repoed. However, the long-term effects of consuming small amounts of the Toxin are not known. A disquieting feature is that the recently introduced high-yielding varieties of bajra are more susceptible to infestation. Ergot-infested grains can be easily removed by floating them in 20 per cent salt water. They can also be removed by hand-picking or air floatation. The upper safe limit for the ergot alkaloids has been estimated to be 0.05 mg per 100 grams of the food material. Ref: Park 25th edition Pgno : 694