 The first stage of ergot infection manifests itself as a white soft tissue (known as "Sphacelia segetum") producing sugary honeydew, which often drops out of the infected grass florets.This honeydew contains millions of asexual spores (conidia) which are dispersed to other florets by insects or rain.Later, the "Sphacelia segetum" convert into a hard dry "Sclerotium clavus" inside the husk of the floret.