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Loose Smut of Barley
A seed-borne smut fungus that replaces barley heads with loose, powdery masses of dark spores which blow away and leave a bare rachis. Spores land on open flowers, infect the developing embryo, and stay hidden in apparently healthy seed until the next season. Systemic seed treatment controls it where available.
Not edible. A cereal pathogen with no food use.
Never eat a wild mushroom based on a web page — confirm with an expert.
Mycology is an evolving science: names, classifications and safety information change as research advances. Entries are compiled from cited sources and reviewed, but may be incomplete or out of date — check the sources, and never rely on this library alone to identify or eat a mushroom.
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