A Gram-positive, non-motile, endospore-forming bacterium, designated Gsoil 1517(T), was isolated from soil of a ginseng field in Pocheon Province (South Korea) and was characterized in order to determine its taxonomic position, using a polyphasic approach. It was found to rod-shaped and aerobic or facultatively anaerobic. It grew optimally at 30 degrees C and at pH 6.5-7.0. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis showed that strain Gsoil 1517(T) forms a distinct phylogenetic lineage within the genus Bacillus, being related to Bacillus funiculus JCM 11201(T) (96.8 %). The strain showed less than 94.3 % sequence similarity with other Bacillus species. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was found to be 47.8 mol% and the predominant respiratory quinone was MK-7. The major fatty acids were iso-C(15 : 0) (42.4 %), anteiso-C(15 : 0) (17.4 %), iso-C(14 : 0) (9.7 %) and C(16 : 0) (6.0 %). On the basis of its phenotypic properties and phylogenetic distinctiveness, strain Gsoil 1517(T) represents a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus panaciterrae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is Gsoil 1517(T) (=KCTC 13929(T)=CCUG 52470(T)=LMG 23408(T)).