268 GENERAL SYSTEMATIC BACTERIOLOGY 



Erwin F. Smith (1905, p. 174) rejects this generic name. Orla-Jensen 

 (1909) abandons this generic name, using Butyribacillus. Vuillemin 

 (1913, p. 525) suggests that this genus be made a "Genus conservan- 

 dum" with Clostridium butyricum Prazmowski as the type. 



Winslow et al. (Committee Soc. Am. Bact., 1917, p. 562) used this 

 as a designation for all spore bearing anaerobes with the following 

 description: 



Anaerobes. Often parasitic. Rods frequently enlarged at sporulation, pro- 

 ducing Clostridium or plectridium forms. 



The type species is Clostridium butyricum Prazmowski. 



Buchanan (1918, p. 38) recognized both Clostridium and Plectridium 

 for the spore bearing anaerobes. The following generic description 

 of Clostridium was given. 



Cells rod-shaped, straight or at least never spiral. Frequently showing 

 granules. Endospores usually produced in cells showing some enlargement; 

 usually the cells become spindle-shaped. Anaerobic or microaerophilic. 

 Usually Gram-positive. 



The type species is Clostridium butyricum Prazmowski. 



Orla-Jensen (1921, p. 273) suggests that the genus Clostridium as 

 described by the Committee (Winslow et al.) might well be split into 

 two genera Butyriclostridium and Putriclostridium. 



Heller (1922, p. 9) radically emended the generic definition, making 

 it the first of the fifteen genera included in her family Clostridioideae 

 q.v. The definition is: 



Clostridium Prazmowski 1880, emend. Heller, Clostridioideae that do not 

 liquefy gelatin. Most species cause stormy fermentation of milk. Highly sac- 

 charolytic, many even splitting pectins. Produce considerable amounts of buty- 

 ric acid as a split-product of carbohydrate fermentation. May fix nitrogen. 

 Readily derive their nitrogen from inorganic nitrogen salts. Large rods which 

 are frequently polymorphic and form large orgonts and oval spores. Frequently 

 store up starch. Form in deep agar large lenticular or modified lenticular 

 colonies. Common destroyers of plant tissue (not cellulose) in soil. Used in the 

 retting of flax to split pectins. 



Type species, C. amylobacter van Tieghem as described by Winogradsky (1896). 

 Probable synonyms: Amylobacter Trecul, Clostridium butyricum Prazmowski, 

 Amylobakter Gruber, Granulobakter saccharo-butyricum Beijerink, B. saccharo- 

 butyricus von Kelcki, Granulobacillus saccharobutyricus mobilis nonliquefaciens 

 Grassberger and Schattenfroh, B. amylobacter von Hibler, B. amylobacter 

 Arthur Meyer and Bredemann. Most of these are today incapable of accurate 

 definition and several of them represent groups and not entities. For this reason 

 the type description chosen is that of Winogradsky instead of that of Prazmowski, 



