sphingobacterium zeae sphingobacterium zeae sphingobacterium zeae is a gram-negative and rod-shaped bacterium from the genus of sphingobacterium which has been isolated from stem tissue of a mays-plant (zea mays). sphingobacterium zeae scientific classification domain: bacteria phylum: bacteroidota class: sphingobacteriia order: sphingobacteriales family: sphingobacteriaceae genus: sphingobacterium species: s. zeae binomial name sphingobacterium zeaekämpfer et al. 2016 type strain ccm 8652, lmg 29191, jm-1081