Streptomyces lavendulae and Streptomyces venezuelae.

With the growing economic significance of some Streptomyces species, the necessity of establishing their precise characteristies in well-defined specific terms becomes of great theoretical and practical importance (Waksman, 1957). The purpose of this paper is to present a comparative study of the main morphological, physiological, and biochemical characteristics of cultures belonging to the Streptomyces lavendulae and Streptomnyces venezuelae groups and to establish probable relationships and comparisons with closely related species. Five isolates of S. lavendulae (Waksman and Curtis) Waksman and Henrici, 1943; three each of Streptomyces cinnamonensis Okami et al. 1953 and S. venezuelae Ehrlich et al., 1948; two each of Streptomyces virginiae Grundy et al., 1952, and Streptomyces fradiae (Waksman and Curtis) Waksman and Henrici 1943, and two recently isolated strains with suspected affinities to the S. lavendulae-S. venezuelae groups, were comparatively grown on various synthetic and organic media and their morphological and physiological characters observed, with special reference to a critical judgment of their taxonomic identity.