Abstract
An anaerobic, mesophilic, sporeforming, xylanolytic bacterium was isolated from decayed Pinus patula wood chips. The cells of this organism were gram-negative rods, had peritrichous flagella, and formed terminal round endospores which distended the cell wall. Xylan, cellobiose, fructose, glucose, maltose, mannose, melezitose, raffinose, rhamnose, salicin, sucrose, and xylose were utilized. The optimum temperature and optimum pH for growth were 35°C and 7.2, respectively. The DNA composition was 40 mol% guanine plus cytosine. The name Clostridium xylanolyticum sp. nov. is proposed for this bacterium. The type strain is strain ATCC 49623.