Bradyrhizobium oropedii (o.ro.pe’ di.i. Gr. neut. n. oropedion mountain plain; N.L. gen. n. oropedii, of the central Southern African plateau, from where the species was isolated).

Cells are motile, Gram-negative, rod shaped and approximately 1.87 × 0.48 μm in size. Growth occurs on YMA at 28 ◦ C after 7 days and colonies are translucent to opaque, circular, convex and cream in colour. Grows at pH values ranging from 5 to 10 and at temperatures ranging from 15 to 35 ◦ C. Isolates are unable to grow in the presence of more than 0.5% NaCl (w/v). Strains tested positive for oxidase, catalase, urease and β- glucosidase activity as well as the production of Tween 40 and Tween 80. Tested positive for the following carbon sources: Dfructose, L-fructose, D-gluconic acid, D-mannitol, α and β- hydroxy butyric acid, p-hydroxy phenylacetic acid, L-alaninamide, L-lactic acid, L-leucine, D-saccharic acid, and urocanic acid. Negative reactions were recorded for indole production and the assimilation of capric acid, adipic acid, malic acid, glycogen, α- D-lactose, N-acetyl-D-galactosamine, α- cyclodextrin, Adonitol, D-cellobiose, D-raffinose, i-erythritol, maltose, lactulose, D-melibiose, sucrose, D-trehalose, turanose, xylitol, L-threonine, uridine, inosine, thymine, glucose-1-phosphate and glucose-6-phosphate, and m-inositol. Resistant to ampicillin (10 μg/ml), chloramphenicol (30 μg/ml), tetracycline (30 μg/ml), penicillin (10 μg/ ml), and susceptible to streptomycin (25 μg/ml).

The type strain, Pear76 T (=SARCC 731 = LMG 31408) was isolated from root nodules of Pearsonia obovata in the Dullstroom area of the Mpumalanga Province, South Africa and forms effective nodules on cowpea (Vigna unguiculata) and siratro (Macroptilium atropurpureum). The DNA G + Ccontent of the type strain is 63.5 mol%. GenBank/ EMBL/DDBJ accession numbers for the genome sequence and the gene sequences of this type strain are: whole genome (JACMYO000000000) and 16S rRNA (LR877297), atpD (LN650103), glnII (LN650145), dnaK (LN650124), gyrB (LN650208), rpoB (LN650187) and nodA (LN650250).