Studies on peat and peat microorganisms

Summary Thermophilic Actinomycetes were isolated from various peat samples and examined in detail. Most of them were classified as Thermoactinomyces vulgaris, a species which frequently occurs in very different habitats.The characters which separate Thermoactinomyces thalpophilus from Thermoactinomyces vulgaris are discussed. They are unstable and not sufficiently characteristic so that the taxonomic position of Thermoact. thalpophilus now becomes doubtful.Thermomonospora viridis comb. nov. which is distinguished by a graygreen aerial mycelium and the formation of a green pigment has been particularly studied and described. Thermoactinomyces monosporus Schütze and Thermoactinomyces viridis Schuurmans are synonyma.Streptomyces strins isolated and grown at 45° C should be called thermotolerant rather than thermophilic. They differ from known nesophilic species in their temperature requirements only.