The microtexture of M(7)C(3) carbides in undercooled 40 g samples of hyper- and hypo-eutectic Fe-Cr-C alloys was determined by electron back scatter diffraction. In the hyper-eutectic alloy the carbides were monocrystalline, while those in the hypo-eutectic alloy were polycrystalline. While in the former the preferred growth direction of the M(7)C(3) carbides was [0001], in the hypo-eutectic alloy there was a relatively weak texture near [<10(1)over bar 1>]. There was no evidence for the presence of growth twins in either the M(7)C(3) carbide rods or in the branching mechanism in the joint between the carbide rods of the hypo-eutectic sample. The morphologies of the M(7)C(3) carbides resulting from undercooling were used to explain the microstructure of hardfacing Fe-Cr-C weld deposits applied by the manual metal are process. The effect of silicon additions on the morphology of M(7)C(3) carbides in Fe-Cr-C-Si alloys is explained in terms of the effect of silicon on undercooling.