Two bacterial strains, IFM 10211(T) and IFM 10200(T), were isolated from the sputum of two Japanese patients, and were subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. The two strains were found to have morphological, physiological and chemotaxonomic properties that were consistent with their assignment to the genus Gordonia, except for a few chemotaxonomic characteristics. Almost complete 16S rRNA gene sequences of the two strains were determined; the data showed that they are related distantly to Gordonia amarae, Gordonia hirsuta, Gordonia hydrophobica and Gordonia sihwensis, showing 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities to the type strains of these species of 96.2-97.9 %. DNA-DNA relatedness data coupled with the combination of genotypic and phenotypic data indicated that the two strains are representatives of two novel, separate species. The names proposed to accommodate these two strains are Gordonia araii sp. nov. (type strain IFM 10211(T)=DSM 44811(T)=NBRC 100433(T)=JCM 12131(T)) and Gordonia effusa sp. nov. (type strain IFM 10200(T)=DSM 44810(T)=NBRC 100432(T)=JCM 12130(T)).