230 



MANUAL OF DETERMINATIVE BACTERIOLOGY 



mannitol are utilized with the produc- 

 tion of CO2. 



Optimum temperature 28°C. Mini- 

 mum near 1°C. Maximum 45°C. 



Aerobic. 



Media containing KNO3, K2HPO4, and 

 glycerol, ethyl or propyl alcohol become 

 alkaline to phenol red. (Sagen, Riker 

 and Baldwin, Jour. Bact., 28, 1934, 571.) 



Growth occurs in special alkaline media 

 of pH 11.0 to 12.0 (Hofer, Jour. Amer. 

 Soc. Agron.,^7, 1935,228). 



Hydrogen sulfide produced if grown in 

 ZoBell and Feltham's medium (Jour. 

 Bact., 28, 1934, 169). 



Distinctive characters : Browning of 

 mannitol-calcium-glycerophosphate agar. 

 Inability to cause plant disease or to 

 produce nodules on roots of legumes. 

 Complete utilization (disappearance of 

 nitrate) in the peptone-salt medium of 

 Riker et al. (Jour. Agr. Res., 41, 1930, 

 529) and failure to absorb congo red 

 (ibid., 528). 



The species bears at least superficial 

 resemblances to certain Rhizobium spp., 

 but may be distinguished from them by 

 the first two characters listed above, and 

 the following in addition : Growth at a 

 reaction of pH 11-12. Heavy ring or 

 pellicle formation on veal infusion broth. 

 H2S production in the mannitol-tryptone 

 medium of ZoBell and Feltham (loc. cit.). 

 Production of milky white precipitate 

 on nitrate-glycerol-soil-extract agar. 



Source: Isolated from soil. 



Habitat: Soil, around the roots of 

 plants, especially legumes. 



Note: Palacios and Bari (Proc. Indian 

 Acad. Sci., 3, 1936, 362; Abs. in Cent. f. 

 Bakt., II Abt., 95, 1937, 423) have de- 

 scribed Bacillus concomitans as a sym- 

 biont from legume nodules that has no 

 power to fix nitrogen although it is very 

 much like legume nodule bacteria {Rhizo- 

 bium spp.). This organism resembles 

 Agrobaclerium radiobacter . 



Appendix: The following species prob- 

 ably belong in Agrobaclerium, but are not 

 sufficiently well described to make their 

 relationship certain. 



1 . Agrobacterium gypsophilae (Brown) 

 Starr and Weiss. {Bacterium gypsophilae 

 Brown, Jour. Agr. Res., 48, 1934, 1109; 

 Pseudomonas gypsophilae Stapp, Bot. 

 Rev., 1, 1935, 407; Phytomonas gypso- 

 philae Stapp, ibid., 407; Starr and Weiss, 

 Phytopath., 33, 1943, 316.) From M. L., 

 Gypsophila, a generic name. 



Rods: 0.2 to 0.8 by 0.4 to 1.4 microns. 

 Motile with 1 to 4 flagella. Capsules. 

 Gram-negative. 



Gelatin : Liquefaction slow, beginning 

 after 1 month. 



Beef -infusion agar colonies : Circular, 

 Naples yellow, smooth or rough, butyrous. 



Broth : Turbid in 24 hours. 



Milk: Coagulation and peptonization. 



Nitrites are produced from nitrates. 



Indole not produced. 



Hydrogen sulfide : A trace may be 

 produced. 



Acid but not gas from glucose, sucrose, 

 maltose, mannitol and glycerol. No acid 

 from lactose. 



Starch not hydrolyzed. 



Aerobic, facultative. 



Distinctive characters: Differs from 

 Xanthomonas beticola in starch hydrol- 

 ysis, HoS production, and will not cross- 

 inoculate with this species. 



Source : Isolated from several galls on 

 Gypsophila. 



Habitat : Produces galls in Gypsophila 

 panicvlata and related plants. 



2. Bacterium pseudotsugae Hansen and 

 Smith. (Hansen and R .E. Smith, Hil- 

 gardia, 10, 1937, 576; Phytoinonas pseu- 

 dotsugae Burkholder, in Manual, 5th ed., 

 1939, 209.) From M. L., Pseudotsuga, 

 a generic name. 



Rods : 0.5 to 1.5 by 1.9 to 3.9 microns. 

 Probably motile ; type of flagellation 

 doubtful. Gram-negative. 



Gelatin : Liquefied. 



