Known for swarming motility but mechanism is not known. They produce putrefaction odors. Proteus vulgaris produces hydrogen sulfide on TSI slants and digests milk to clear liquid. Isolated from fecal material. Pseudomonas use a very wide variety of organic compounds for carbon and energy.
Many species produce greenish yellow to bluish soluble pigments in the medium, some are fluorescent.
Common on plants. Some are plant pathogens and a few can grow in human wounds. Leftover milk in discarded cartons is often bluish or greenish due to members of this genus. Rhodospirillum species have large spiral cells which have very rapid motility with a spinning movement. Will grow on yeast media in the dark microaerophilically with pale white color.