This article begins by comparing samples of Crenothrix polyspora from Sweden and Indiana, and makes the following observations: in neither instance were the filaments visibly encrusted with iron or manganese, and they appeared analogous to cellophane tubes; when the colonies were treated with dilute hydrochloric acid and ferrocyanide solutions, a few filaments in each colony exhibited a weak Prussian blue reaction near the base of the filament, indicating a slight absorption of ferric ions. The article briefly discusses a comparative study of Crenothrix done by Kolk, and goes on to discuss further criteria for studying Crenothrix in greater detail. The distinguishing characteristic of Crenothrix polyspora, the production of spherical nonmotile cells called conidia, is discussed, and the article ends with the conclusion that there is little, if any, precise evidence to support the theory that Crenothrix is an iron bacterium.
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R. S. Wolfe (1960) studied this question.