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A survey was made of the NaCl tolerance of approximately 1,300 Streptomyces strains belonging to 313 species. The growth medium of the organisms was supplemented with a graded series of NaCl concentrations (4, 7, 10, and 13%). Only 1.8% of the species could not tolerate 4% NaCl; 26.9% could grow at a maximum of 4%; 49.7% could tolerate a maximum of 7%; 18.8% could grow at a maximum of 10%; and only 2.8% could tolerate 13% NaCl. In evaluating the relationships of NaCl tolerance to various taxonomic features, higher tolerance was statistically associated with the “yellow” and possibly the “white”-spored streptomycetes, whereas the “red”-spored series tended to have lesser tolerance. Higher tolerance was also indicated for spiny-spored species, as a group, than for smooth-spored forms. Likewise, nonproducers of melanin, collectively, were more NaCl tolerant than melanin-producing species. Uniformity of test responses between strains of species studied suggested the usefulness of NaCl tolerance as a taxonomic criterion.

In the sundry systems of streptomycete taxonomy, color of the sporulating aerial mycelium is frequently employed as a systematic criterion. Color series, each containing species of similar spore colors, are generally erected; however, the range of colors encompassed within a series is often not clearly delineated by the usual word description. Therefore, a system is proposed in which the color content of each series is more accurately defined by means of color tabs. Seven spore-color series are recognized (i.e., red, gray, yellow, blue, green, violet, and white), each of which is represented by a color wheel that displays the range of colors included therein. By comparing spore colors with the color wheels, unclassified isolates can readily be assigned to appropriate color groups.

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