Cells are aerobic, non-motile and Gram-positive. The substrate mycelium, which is often fragmented into rods or coccoid elements, penetrates into agar media. The cells are irregular rods, which form filaments (0.4–0.6 x 8–12 µm) in the early growth phase and form mostly cocci or short rods (0.2–0.5 x 7–3 µm) during the exponential growth phase. The colonies are light pink, opaque and convex with slightly irregular edges on PY agar. Grows optimally at 15–30 °C, but does not grow at 37 °C. Catalase- and β-galactosidase positive and urease-, DNase- and lecithinase-negative. Tyrosine is hydrolysed. Aesculin, gelatin, Tween 80, casein and starch are not hydrolysed. Maltose, mannitol, N-acetylglucosamine, sodium succinate, sodium fumarate, m-hydroxybutyrate, p-hydroxybenzoate and quinate are utilized as sole carbon and energy sources. -Galactose, -rhamnose, -ribose, inositol, sorbitol, sucrose, glycerol, trehalose, sodium malate, sodium citrate, sodium lactate, proline, -serine and - leucine are not utilized. Acid is produced from glucose, mannitol, fructose, xylose and lactose. The cell wall contains meso-diaminopimelic acid, arabinose and galactose (wall chemotype IV). The predominant menaquinone is MK-8(H# ). The major fatty acid is C"':! , and 10-methyl-branched fatty acids are present. Mycolic acids are present. The GC content of the DNA is 67±4 mol%. Isolated from a femur in the remains in the grave of Jos)t Lucembursky!. The type strain is strain IFO 16295T (=CCM 4760T).