The purplish-black rods projecting out of this seedhead of smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora) are the "ergots" (sclerotia) of Claviceps purpurea, an ascomycete that is an obligate parasite (lifecycle diagram) (field view). The fungus replaces the tissue of the ovule, and draws all of its nutrients from the plant's attempting to feed the ovule. The moldiness at the base of some of the ergots in this image probably represents a fungal hyperparasite (Fusarium sp.). The ergot eventually falls to the sediment and overwinters. Ascomatal stromata grow out from the ergot in the following year, and these expel ascospores into the air, some of which eventually find flowering heads. C. purpurea is a common floral parasite of commercial grains; the Claviceps on smooth cordgrass may be a distinct species -- it is know to consistently produce a unique set of poisonous alkaloids. See Raybould, A.F., A.J. Gray, & R.T. Clarke. 1998. The long-term epidemic of Claviceps purpurea on Spartina anglica in Poole Harbour: pattern of infection, effects on seed production and role of Fusarium heterosporum. New Phytol. 138:497-505.