FAMILY NEISSERIACEAE 



299 



Diplococcus pharyngis flaws II, von 

 Lingelsheim, Klin. Jahrb., 15, 1906, 409; 

 Diplococcus flavus /and possibly Diplo- 

 coccus flavus II, V. Lingelsheim, Zeitschr. 

 f. Hyg., 59, 1908, 476; Micrococcus 

 pharyngis flavus I and possibly Micro- 

 coccus pharyngis flavus II, Lehmann and 

 Neumann, Bakt. Diag., 7 Aufi., 2, 1927, 

 259; Chromogenic group II, Elser and 

 Huntoon, Jour. Med. Res.,^0 (N. S. 15), 

 1909, 415; Bergey et al.. Manual, 1st ed., 

 1923, 43.) From Latin flavus, yellow. 



Spheres: 0.5 to 0.8 micron, occurring 

 singly and in pairs with adjacent sides 

 flattened. Gram-negative. 



Glucose agar colonies: Small, circular, 

 slightly raised, greenish-gray by reflected 

 light and greenish-yellow by transmitted 

 light. Growth not adherent to medium. 

 Surface colony is smooth with numerous, 

 rather coarse crumbs in center. Margin 

 entire, or rarely slightlj" irregular. 

 Chromogenesis best seen on Loffier's 

 blood serum medium. 



Ascitic agar colonies : Like those on 

 glucose agar. 



Acid from glucose, fructose and 

 maltose. No acid from sucrose or man- 

 nitol. 



Optimum temperature 37°C. Grows 

 at22°C. 



Source: Nasopharynx, cerebro-spinal 

 fluid in cases of meningitis (very rare). 



Habitat : Mucous membrane of respira- 

 tory tract. 



7. Neisseria subfiava Bergey et al. 

 (Chromogenic group III, Elser and 

 Huntoon, Jour. Med. Research, 20 (N.S. 

 15), 1909, 415; Bergey et al.. Manual, 1st 

 ed., 1923, 44.) From Latin sub, less and 

 flavus, yellow. 



Spheres: 0.6 to 0.8 micron, occurring 

 singly and in pairs with adjacent sides 

 flattened. Gram-negative. 



Glucose agar colonies: Small, slightly 

 raised, pale greenish-yellow, especially 

 on primary culture. 



Acid from glucose and maltose. No 

 acid from fructose, sucrose or mannitol. 



Agglutinates in normal rabbit serum. 



Optimum temperature 37°C. Little 

 or no growth at 22°C. 



Aerobic, facultative. 



Easily confused with Xeisseria men- 

 ingitidis. 



Source: Nasopharynx. 



Habitat : Mucous membrane of the 

 respiratory tract of man. 



8. Neisseria flavescens Branham. 

 (U. S. Public Health Service, Pub. 

 Health Repts., 43, 1930, 845.) From 

 Latin flavescens, becoming yellow. 



Biscuit-shaped cocci occurring in flat- 

 tened pairs. Giant forms common. 

 Gram -negative. 



Glucose agar : Poor growth. 



Blood agar : Good growth, colonies less 

 moist than those of the meningococcus. 

 Golden yellow pigment. Greenish-yel- 

 low on Loffler's blood serum medium. 



Semisolid agar: Good growth. 



No acid from anj' of the carbohydrates. 



Optimum temperature 37°C. 



Aerobic, facultative. 



Serologically homogeneous group. 



Source : Cerebro-spinal fluid in cases 

 of meningitis. 



Habitat : Probably mucous membrane 

 of respiratory tract of man. 



Note : Wilson and Smith (Jour. Path, 

 and Bact., 31, 1928, 597) do not regard 

 differences in sugar fermentations, 

 chromogenesis, appearance of colonies, 

 etc. sufficiently constant to warrant the 

 separation of the species Neisseria catar- 

 rhalis, N. flava, N. cinerea, N. mucosa 

 and N. sicca. They recommend that all 

 be grouped under a single species known 

 as Neisseria pharyngis (Diplococcus 

 pharyngis) . 



9. Neisseria discoides Prevot. (Ann. 

 Sci. Nat., Ser. Bot., 15, 1933, 106.) 

 From Greek, discoeides, discus shaped; 

 Latin adj., disk-shaped. 



Spheres: 0.6 to 0.7 micron, occurring 

 in pairs or tetrads. Gram-negative. 



