More on Oidium lactis

[HILL at RHODES.EDU]

>  I have a German article from 1893 that mentions the cell shape of the
>  organism Oidium lactis to be cylindric, rounded at the ends, and of
>  variable length.  Please contact me if you know this organism (Is it a
>  bacterium or yeast?) or its current name, in case it changed.  Where could
>  I find more information about it?


The genus name Oidium is an old one dating back at least to Saccardo.  It's 
mainly used now colloquially to designate the asexual stages of powdery 
mildews, but it's been associated at times with lots of other molds.

According to Arthur T. Henrici in "Molds, Yeasts, and Actinomycetes" (J. Wiley 
and Sons, 1930), Oidium lactis "is a very common and widespread mold, 
extraordinarily resistant to heat and antiseptics, which grows everywhere where 
lactic acid is present -- on sour milk, cheeses, butter, sauerkraut, silage, 
and pickles . . ."  

That sounds like a pretty good description of Geotrichum candidum, and I vote 
with those who've already suggested Geotrichum as the modern equivalent.