A Gram-negative, non-spore-forming bacterial strain with the ability to solubilize highly insoluble phosphatic minerals was isolated from a high-phosphorous iron ore from Minas Gerais State, Brazil. This strain, designated FeGl01(T), was subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic investigation. Comparative 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that it formed a distinct phylogenetic lineage within the genus Burkholderia together with several other species of the genus, e.g. Burkholderia sacchari, Burkholderia tropica and Burkholderia unamae. Partial nucleotide sequencing and analysis of the recA gene roughly corroborated the phylogenetic position of strain FeGl01(T) within the genus Burkholderia. The chemotaxonomic properties of strain FeGl01(T), such as ubiquinone Q-8 as the predominant quinone system and C(16 : 0), C(17 : 0) cyclo, C(18 : 1)omega7c and C(19 : 0)omega8c cyclo as the major fatty acids, were also consistent with its classification within the genus Burkholderia. DNA-DNA hybridization experiments between strain FeGl01(T) and the type strains of B. unamae, B. sacchari and B. tropica yielded reassociation values of 40 % or lower, which, together with qualitative and quantitative differences in fatty acid composition and with differences in several phenotypic traits, support the separation of the new isolate from the phylogenetically most closely related species. Therefore, it is suggested that strain FeGl01(T) represents a novel species of the genus Burkholderia, for which the name Burkholderia ferrariae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is FeGl01(T) (=LMG 23612(T)=CECT 7171(T)=DSM 18251(T)).