Crinalium epipsammum sp. nov.: a filamentous cyanobacterium with trichomes composed of elliptical cells and containing poly- -(1,4) glucar (cellulose)

This paper describes the isolation and characterization of a new species of cyanobacterium, Crinalium epipsammum. The assignment to the genus Crinalium, first described by Crow (1927) , is based on a property which is unusual for cyanobacteria: trichomes viewed in cross-section are elliptical rather than circular. This organism was isolated from the surface layer of sandy soil of coastal dunes in The Netherlands. The organism is non-motile and drought resistant, and its cell surface is hydrophilic. The temperature optimum for growth is 25 °C. The mean DNA base composition is 33·9 mol% G + C. The cell wall is relatively thick and contains poly-β-(1,4)glucan (cellulose), which is unusual for cyanobacteria.