Sorghum ergot
Claviceps sorghi
Individual ovaries between the glumes of some or all florets are colonized by the parasite. Infected florets become evident when sticky, orange-brown liquid droplets of spore-bearing honeydew are exuded. The soft, white, narrow and elongate growth of mycelium forming the sphacelium becomes evident soon after, appearing from between the glume tips; the glumes are barely distorted laterally. The sphacelium grows at the inner end and may achieve a length of 14 mm.