The Adansonian Classification of the Staphylococci

Abstract

SUMMARY: The Adansonian method of classification, in which all features are given equal weight in deducing similarity between strains, has been applied to staphylococci. Staphylococcus aureus, S. saprophyticus and S. roseus are natural groups, but S. lactis and S. afermentans are not, for individual strains of these ‘ species ’ are as different from each other as from the three previous species. The group as a whole is divided into two main branches which might be regarded conveniently as two genera, Staphylococcus and Micrococcus.