[Numerical taxonomy of gram-positive anaerobic bacilli]

Numerical Taxonomy's techniques were employed on twenty one anaerobic Gram positive bacilli strains taking account of eighty morphologic and biochemical features. Two methods of coding (weighted and non weighted) and four clustering methods (unweighted pair-group method using arithmetic averages; weighted pair-group method using arithmetic averages; single linkage and complete linkage) were used. Eight dendrograms were obtained and they showed that C. haemolyticum (strains 1, 2, 4, 7); C. subterminale (strains 8, 19); C. botulinum (strain 14) and C. sporogenes (strain 15) belong to a different group than the other strains. Another group would be formed with C. perfringens (strains 3, 5, 6, 12, 16, 21) and C. paraperfringens (strains 9, 10, 11). Of the remaining strains the two classified as Propionibacterium acnes (strains 17, 18) have a very high degree of agreement. C. histolyticum (strain 20) adjoins at a very low level, while C. butyricum (strain 13) shows a unfixed behaviour. The dendrograms display a disposition according with Classical Taxonomy.