Abstract: Sixteen species of plants bearing ergot sclerotia were found in different loca- lities in north and north-eastern China from 1951 to 1954. The morphology of the ergot collected from 10 species of host plant are discribed,their distribution listed,and a short discussion on the relation between occurence and climate is followed. It is noted that spontaneous infection of ergot occured in the same locality more severely in a year with heavy rainfall than in a year with low rainfall.