560 



ORDER IV. EUBACTERIALES 



poe.ci.lo'i.des. Gr. adj. poecilus many- 

 colored, spotted; Gr. noun eidus shape, 

 form; M.L. adj. poeciloides variegated. 



Straight or curved rods, 0.8 by 3.0 mi- 

 crons, with rounded ends, occurring singly, 

 in pairs or in V- or L-shaped groups, some- 

 times tapered. Non-motile. Gram-positive. 



Gas not produced in culture media. 



Gelatin: No liquefaction. 



Deep agar colonies: Small, punctiform, 

 becoming confluent. 



Glucose broth: Turbidity which finally 

 precipitates. 



Milk: No growth. 



Potato: No growth. 



Anaerobic. 



Optimum temperature, between 37° and 

 38° C. 



Pathogenic for guinea pigs and rabbits. 



Source : Isolated from a case of intestinal 

 occlusion. 



Habitat: Found in human intestines. Un- 

 common. 



Genus III. Catenabacterium Prevot, 1938 * 

 (Ann. Inst. Past., 60, 1938, 294.) 



Ca.te.na.bac.te'ri.um. L. fem.n. catena a chain; Gr. dim.n. bacterium a small rod; M.L. 

 neut.n. Catenabacterium chain rodlet. 



Straight or curved rods which usually occur in long chains or filaments. No branching. 

 Non-motile. Gram-positive. Carbohydrates are attacked, the end-products of fermenta- 

 tion including some of the following: formic, acetic, propionic, butyric and lactic acids. 

 Anaerobic. May be pathogenic. Found in the intestinal tracts and in lesions of warm- 

 blooded animals. 



The type species is Catenabacterium helminthoides (Lewkowicz) Prevot. 



Key to the species of genus Catenabacterium. 



I. Gas produced in culture media. 

 A. Liquefies gelatin. 



B. Do not liquefy gelatin. 



1. Milk is coagulated. 



2. Milk not coagulated. 



1. Catenabacterium helminthoides. 



2. Catenabacterium filamentosuyn. 



3. Catenabacterium contortum. 



II. Gas not produced in culture media. 



A. Do not require serum or ascitic fluid for growth. 



1. Liquefies gelatin. 



4. Catenabacterium lottii. 



2. Do not liquefy gelatin. 



a. No turbidity in glucose broth. No fetid odor. Agar colonies do not turn black. 



5. Catenabacterium catenajorme. 



aa. Slight turbidity in glucose broth. Very fetid odor. Agar colonies turn black. 



6. Catenabacterium nigrum. 



B. Requires serum or ascitic fluid for growth. 



7. Catenabacterium leptotrichoides . 



1. Catenabacterium helminthoides hel.min.tho.i'des. Gr. adj. helminthoides 



(Lewkowicz, 1901) Prevot, 1938. (Bacillus worm-like. 



helminthoides Lewkowicz, Arch, de M6d. Straight or curved rods, with rounded 



Exp., 73, 1901,631; Prgvot, Ann. Inst. Past., ends, occurring as S-shaped forms and as 



60, 1938, 295.) long filaments, 0.7 to 1.0 by 3.0 to 20.0 mi- 



* Arranged by Mrs. Eleanore Heist Clise and Mr. Erwin F. Lessel, Jr., Cornell University, 

 Geneva, New York, March, 1955. 



