CR YPTOCOCCA CEM 



1071 



Classification. — ^The family contains the following genera: — 

 Torula Persoon, 1801; Crypfococcus Kiitzing, 1833; Pityrosporum 

 Sabouraud, 1895; and Mycoderma Persoon, 1822; which may be 

 differentiated as follows :■ — 



A. Vegetative elements not elongate: — 



I. Non-pathogenic : — 



Vegetative elements roundish or oval, containing a large globule 

 of fat. Budding takes place, and often by several buds at 

 one and the same time. Pigment is frequently present. 

 In fluid sugar media a thick pellicle, without bubbles of air, 

 is slowly produced — Torula. 



II. Pathogenic : — 



(a) Vegetative elements with well-developed double contour; no 

 large globule of fat. Budding takes place with a single 

 bud at a time. No thick pellicle on fluid sugar media. 

 Cultivated — Cryptococcus. 



(&) Vegetative elements often without double contour. Not 

 cultivated — Pityrosporum . 



B. Vegetative elements elongate: — 



In fluid sugar media a thick pellicle containing bubbles of gas is 

 quickly produced — Mycoderma. 



The genera with which we are concerned are Cryptococcus and 

 Pityrosporum . 



Fig. 556. — Diagram showing Fig. 557. — Cryptococcus 



Budding Characteristic of myrmecicB. 

 mycoderma [a] and Torula (6). 



(After Hansen.) 



Genus Cryptococcus Kiitzing, 1833. 



Definition.— -Cryptococcaceae with vegetative elements not elon- 

 gate; pathogenic, with well-developed double contour, but no globule 

 of fat and only one bud at a time, and no formation of thick pelhcle 

 on fluid sugar media. Can be cultivated. 



Type S^QQiQS —Cryptococcus hominis Vuillemin, 1901. 



Remarks and Classification. — The name Cryptococcus was intro- 

 duced by Kiitzing in 1833 as the generic name for certain forms of 

 his algae, which he classified as belonging to the subclass Malaco- 

 phyceae, tribe Gymnospermeae, order Eremospermeae, suborder 

 Mycophyceae, and family Cryptococcaceae. This family he defined 

 as : ' Globuli gonimici minutissimi ntucosi in stratum indefinitum 

 (^ggregati,' and in this family he placed three genera, Cryptococcus, 

 Ulvina, and Sphaerotilus. The genus Cryptococcus was character- 



