An actinomycete strain (0345M-7(T)) was isolated from a soil sample from Yilan county, Taiwan. The isolate displayed substrate mycelia, upon which were borne short spore chains. The spore chains were composed of non-motile, smooth-surfaced, oval spores. Strain 0345M-7(T) had meso-diaminopimelic acid in its peptidoglycan. Whole-cell sugars were galactose, glucose, arabinose and ribose. The only phospholipid found was phosphatidylethanolamine. The predominant menaquinone was MK-9(H(4)). Mycolic acids were not detected. Major cellular fatty acids were iso-C(16 : 0) (38.1 %) and C(17 : 1) (25.4 %). The DNA G+C content of strain 0345M-7(T) was 68.9 mol%. On the basis of phenotypic and genotypic data, it is proposed that strain 0345M-7(T) (=BCRC 16802(T)=KCTC 19116(T)) should be classified as the type strain of a novel species of the genus Amycolatopsis, Amycolatopsis taiwanensis sp. nov.