Strain LXD30(T) was isolated from rhizosphere soil of a plant of the species Camptotheca acuminata Decne which is native to warm, humid stream banks in southern China. Analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence revealed that the Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium fell within the realm of the genus Rhizobium and was most closely related to Rhizobium huautlense SO2(T) (96.4% sequence similarity) and Rhizobium cellulosilyticum LMG 23642(T) (96.4%). The isolate grew optimally at pH7.0 and 25-28 degrees C in the presence of 0-1% (w/v) NaCl. Major fatty acids were C16:0 (17.5%) and summed feature 7 (C18:1omega7c/omega9t/omega12t, 58.3%). Unequivocally low 16S rRNA (<97%), recA (<92%) and atpD (<90%) gene sequence similarities to all existing species of the genus and phenotypic characteristics all suggested that strain LXD30(T) (=KCTC 22609(T)=CGMCC 1.8903(T)) represents a novel Rhizobium species, for which the name Rhizobium kunmingense sp. nov. is proposed.