A Gram-stain-positive, aerobic actinomycete, strain YIM 60513(T), was isolated from the stem of Gloriosa superba L. collected from tropical rainforest at Xishuangbanna, Yunnan Province, south-west China. 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis indicated that strain YIM 60513(T) belonged to the genus Saccharopolyspora and was closely related to Saccharopolyspora gregorii NCIB 12823(T) (99.1 % similarity) and Saccharopolyspora cebuensis SPE 10-1(T) (97.3 % similarity). Data for the predominant quinone [MK-9(H(4))], major fatty acids (iso-C(16 : 0), anteiso-C(17 : 0) and C(17 : 1) cis9) and G+C content of the genomic DNA (71.6 mol%) were similar to those for members of the genus Saccharopolyspora. The level of DNA-DNA relatedness between strain YIM 60513(T) and S. gregorii NCIB 12823(T) was 43 %. The combination of phylogenetic analysis, phenotypic differences, chemotaxonomic characteristics and DNA-DNA hybridization data supported the view that strain YIM 60513(T) should be distinguished from S. gregorii NCIB 12823(T) and S. cebuensis SPE 10-1(T). Strain YIM 60513(T) therefore represents a novel species of the genus Saccharopolyspora, for which the name Saccharopolyspora gloriosae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is YIM 60513(T) (=KCTC 19243(T) =CCTCC AA 207006(T)).