STUDIES IN THE NOMENCLATURE AND CLASSIFICATION OF THE BACTERIA II. THE PRIMARY SUBDIVISIONS OF THE SCHIZOMYCETES

Abstract

Since the definite recognition of the fact that bacteria, for the most part at least, are to be classed with plants rather than with animals, several names have been proposed to designate the entire group. The following may be noted: The bacteria as a group have received different ranking from various workers. Their exact position in the botanical scheme has also received different interpretations. Some authors have regarded the bacteria as constituting a family, others have called the group an order, still others a class. The most commonly accepted ranking at the present seems to be to place the Schizophyceae (blue green algae) and the Schizomycetes as coordinate classes of the phylum Schizophyta. The name Schizomycetes apparently has priority as a class name, and is entirely suitable and valid. It may be characterized as follows: Schizomycetes Naegeli (1857, p. 760) char. emend. Migula (1894, p. 235) Typically unicellular plants, cells usually small and relatively primitive in organization. The cells are of many shapes, spherical, cylindrical, spiral or filamentous; cells often united into groups, families or filaments; occasionally in the latter shouing some dif-155