A novel Gram-stain-positive, slightly halophilic, facultatively alkaliphilic, non-motile, non-sporulating, catalase-positive, oxidase-negative, aerobic bacterium, designated strain JSM 070026(T), was isolated from non-saline forest soil in China. Growth occurred with 0-20% (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2-4%) and at pH 6.0-10.5 (optimum, pH 8.0) and 5-40 degrees C (optimum, 30 degrees C). Good growth also occurred in the presence of 0-28% (w/v) KCl (optimum, 2-5%) or 0-25% (w/v) MgCl(2)*6H(2)O (optimum, 1-4%). The peptidoglycan type was A4alpha (L: -Lys-Gly-L: -Glu). Cell-wall sugars contained mannose and xylose. The major cellular fatty acids were anteiso-C15:0 and iso-C15:0. Strain JSM 070026(T) contained menaquinone 8 as the major respiratory quinone and diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylinositol as the major polar lipids. The DNA G + C content of strain JSM 070026(T) was 56.7 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain JSM 070026(T) was a member of the suborder Micrococcineae and most closely related to Yaniella flava YIM 70178(T) (sequence similarity 99.4%) and Yaniella halotolerans YIM 70085(T) (97.9%). The three strains formed a distinct branch in the phylogenetic tree. The combination of phylogenetic analysis, DNA-DNA relatedness values, phenotypic characteristics and chemotaxonomic data supports the proposal that strain JSM 070026(T) represents a novel species of the genus Yaniella, for which the name Yaniella soli sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is JSM 070026(T) (=DSM 22211(T) = KCTC 13527(T)).