GENERAL SYSTEMATIC BACTERIOLOGY 185 



The organism is a straight or somewhat bent rod, l.Sju by O.Spi, single or in 

 pairs or bundles, motile, spores unknown. On gelatin the growth is very slow, 

 in two weeks the superficial colonies are opaque yellow points, the deep colonies 

 scarcely yellow. Under low magnification the latter are gray yellow, opaque. 

 The organism is aerobic, does not produce gas and forms a citron yellow pig- 

 ment. 



Migula (1900, p. 842) termed this organism Bacillus citreus. 



Moreno (1901, p. 112) described an Ascobacillus aquatilis. Mac4 

 (1913, p. 586) regards Ascobacillus as a synonym of Ascohacterium q.v. 

 making Ascobacillus citreus a synonjon of Ascobacterium luteum Babes. 

 Mac6 also includes as a synonym the Ascobacillus sacchari Greig-Smith 

 (1903). 



Enlows states (1920, p. 16: for the Unna type): 



Straight or bent bacilli, 1 to 3u by 0.3/u, single or in twos, grouped or in bundles. 

 Masses taken from agar present the appearance of Ascococmis billrothii Cohn. 

 In the interior of these masses the bacilli are nonmotile, but at the periphery 

 a whirling motion may be observed. 



Type species (monotj^py). A. citreus. Produces a citron j-ellow color on 

 media. Liquefies gelatin. 



If the organism described by Unna and Tommasoli is worthy of 

 recognition as a generic type, the name Ascobacillus would probably be 

 valid. It is possible that it might be used as a generic name for yellow 

 pigment forming rods if these should be grouped together, as has been 

 done in Flavobacterium q.v. Otherwise Ascobacillus may be regarded 

 as a synonym and not tenable, 



Ascobacteria. A name (form genus) suggested by Billroth (1874) 

 but with no designation of species. 



It was proposed as a generic name by Van Tieghem (1880, p. 151). 

 Under the grouping of colonies provided with a membrane, he states 

 that the types with cylindrical cells may be combined into the genus 

 Ascobacteria, which he regarded as an encapsulated Polybacteria. One 

 species was described, Ascobacteria ulvina Van Tieghem. It developed 

 on the surface of water in which leguminous seeds (lupine) were rot- 

 ting. It occurred in granular, polyhedral masses, each enveloped in 

 a thick cartilaginous membrane, in a layer like the alga Ulva. Cells 

 numerous small rods embedded in a common gelatin. After the mass 

 reaches a certain size, it splits, while the gelatinous membrane is 

 continued over the two daughter masses. 



