Flavobacterium arundinis sp. nov., Flavobacterium calami sp. nov., Flavobacterium helocola sp. nov. and Flavobacterium flavipallidum sp. nov., isolated from stagnant water in a clump of Phragmites japonica Steud.

Four novel bacterial strains were isolated from stagnant water in a clump of Phragmites japonica Steud. The four Gram-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped, non-motile and yellow-coloured strains were designated as DGU11^T, DGU38^T, DGU41^T and DGU99^T. The four novel strains exhibited 16S rRNA gene similarities with their closest type strains, ranging from 95.7 to 98.7%, average nucleotide identity values from 75.3 to 95.6% and digital DNA-DNA hybridization values between 17.9 and 59.6%. The cells of strain DGU11^T were non-motile and grew at 10-30°C (optimum 25 °C), a pH range of 4.0-12.0 (optimum 9.0) and in the presence of 0-1.0% sodium chloride (NaCl) (optimum 0%). The cells of strain DGU38^T were non-motile and grew at 10-35°C (optimum 30 °C), a pH range of 4.0-8.0 (optimum 7.0) and at 0 -2.0% NaCl (optimum 0%). The cells of strain DGU41^T were non-motile and grew at 15-50°C (optimum 30 °C), a pH range of 6.0-9.0 (optimum 7.0) and in the presence of 0% NaCl (optimum 0%). The cells of strain DGU99^T were non-motile and grew at 15-35°C (optimum 25 °C), a pH range of 6.0-12.0 (optimum 9.0) and in the presence of 0 -2.0% NaCl (optimum 0%). The major fatty acid composition of the four novel strains was iso-C_15:0 and C_16:1  ω7c/C1_6:1  ω6c, which is similar to other Flavobacterium species. The proposed names of the novel strains are Flavobacterium arundinis sp. nov. (type strain DGU11^T=KACC 23722^T=TBRC 19004^T), Flavobacterium calami sp. nov. (type strain DGU38^T=KACC 23723^T=TBRC 19005^T), Flavobacterium helocola sp. nov. (type strain DGU41^T=KACC 23724^T=TBRC 19006^T) and Flavobacterium flavipallidum sp. nov. (type strain DGU99^T=KACC 23725^T=TBRC 19007^T).