The taxonomic positions of two soil actinomycetes, strains 117(T) and 43401(T), provisionally assigned to the genus Nocardia were determined in a polyphasic study. The organisms were found to have phenotypic properties typical of members of the genus Nocardia, and formed a distinct branch in the Nocardia 16S rRNA gene tree. It was evident from the phylogenetic data that the isolates were most closely, albeit loosely, associated with the type strains of Nocardia nova and Nocardia pseudobrasiliensis. However, all four of these organisms were readily distinguishable from one another using DNA-DNA relatedness and phenotypic data. It is evident from the genotypic and phenotypic data that the two isolates should be recognized as novel species of the genus Nocardia. It is proposed, therefore, that strains 117(T) (=CGMCC 4.1904(T)=JCM 12860(T)) and 43401(T) (=CGMCC 4.1905(T)=JCM 12861(T)) be classified in the genus Nocardia as the type strains of Nocardia miyunensis sp. nov. and Nocardia jiangxiensis sp. nov., respectively.