http://www.alltheway.com/html/ergot.html 

                             CA: 71:P69351y : describes mutants of strain NRRL 3027 
                             producing 2270mg/l of ergoline compounds of which 85% were 
                             amides of lysergic and isolysergic acids. (Swiss patent application) 

                             CA: 77:P156333n : describes a method used to get 9.75g pure 
                             lysergamides from a 10 litre fermentation originally containing 
                             an estimated 15g. 

                             CA: 94:13992r : reference Indian Drugs; 1980; 17(8) 228-31 Eng. 
                             CA: 90:118108c : reference Indian Drugs; 1979; 16(4) 88-93 Eng. 
                             Very interesting>:-|| 

                             CA: 102:219574y : Serbo-Croat areticle describing 2.2g/l prod. 
                             by C. paspali Stevens and Hall (1984). 

                             Life History and Poisonous Properties 
                             of Claviceps paspali; H. B. Brown (Mississippi Agricultural 
                             Experiment Station); Journal of Agricultural Research ,vol. 7(9), 
                             pgs 401-405. describes on brief glance through it --- germination 
                             of the yellowish-grey sclerotia found on Paspalum dilatatum Poir. 
                             observed in the region of the Mississippi Agricultural College. 
                             Also contains reference to Stevens and Halls' original article (1910). 

                             * Biotechnological Exploitation of the Ergot Fungus 
                             (Claviceps Purpurea); Karl Esser and Andrea Duvell; Process 
                             Biochemistry, August 1984 pgs 142-149. 
                             Synopsis: "The alkaloids of the ergot fungus C. purpurea and related 
                             species already known as drugs in the middle ages are still finding 
                             many uses in medical therapy (he he). Since the supply of natural grown 
                             ergots is not sufficient, the biotechnological production of ergot 
                             alkaloids has gained in importance. This requires not only an undestanding 
                             of physiological and environmental conditions, but also concerted breeding 
                             in order to increase and stabilize the production level." 

                             * Biology of Claviceps; Willard A. Taber; Chapter 15 (sorry - 
                             i don't remember which book this came from, but it should be indexed 
                             under Taber in Biological Abstracts) pgs 449-486. 
                             "If one desires isolates of C. paspali (which are high producers of 
                             simple amides), one must go to paspalum grass. ... C. paspali 
                             differs from all other species in possesing a yellowish tan cauliflower- 
                             shaped sclerotium rather than the purplish banana-shaped sclerotium, and 
                             it has been suggested that this species be trasnsferred to the genus 
                             Mothesia. " 

                             *The Ergot Alkaloids; A. Stoll and A. Hofmann (THE); 
                             Chapter 21, The Alkaloids, Manske (ed. ?) vol. VIII, pgs 725-779+. 
                             Describes lots and lots and lots of chemical detail regarding 
                             everything from biogenesis to complete chemical synthesis as a means 
                             of confirming structure. Also has a section completely devoted to 
                             "Derivatives of Ergot Alkaloids" in which the following processes 
                             for synthesizing amides are discussed: 
                             => The azide process. 
                             => DMF-SO3 mixed anhydride method. 
                             => mixed Lysergic acid trifluoroacetic anhydride. 
                             => Lysergic acid chloride hydrochloride method. 
                             => N,N'- carbonyldiimidazole as condensing agent (Best IMHO). 