A Gram-positive bacterium, designated strain CW 7(T), was isolated from forest soil in Anhui Province, south-east China. Cells were strictly aerobic, motile with peritrichous flagella and rod-shaped. The strain grew optimally at 30-37 degrees C and pH 7.0-8.0. The major fatty acids of strain CW 7(T) were anteiso-C(15 : 0), iso-C(15 : 0) and anteiso-C(17 : 0). The predominant menaquinone was MK-7. The cell-wall peptidoglycan contained meso-diaminopimelic acid. The G+C content of the genomic DNA was 42.3 mol%. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that strain CW 7(T) belonged to a monophyletic cluster within the genus Bacillus and showed 16S rRNA gene sequence similarities of less than 96.5 % to recognized species of the genus Bacillus. The results of the polyphasic taxonomic study, including phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic analyses, showed that strain CW 7(T) represents a novel species of the genus Bacillus, for which the name Bacillus pallidus sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is CW 7(T) (=KCTC 13200(T)=CCTCC AB 207188(T)=LMG 24451(T)).

The prokaryotic species name Bacillus pallidus Zhou et al. 2008 is illegitimate because it is a later homonym of the name Bacillus pallidus Scholz et al. 1988 (Bacteria, Firmicutes, Bacillales, Bacillaceae, Bacillus). Although Bacillus pallidus Scholz et al. 1988 was transferred to the genus Geobacillus as Geobacillus pallidus comb. nov. in 2004, the species name Bacillus pallidus Scholz et al. 1988 remains validly published and has priority at that position [Principle 8 of the Bacteriological Code (1990 Revision)]. In order to solve this problem, a new name was sought for this taxon, represented by the type strain CW 7(T). In addition, the placement of this species in the genus Bacillus was reassessed. The data collected were re-examined as part of a taxonomic study using a polyphasic approach. It was concluded, primarily based on the chemotaxonomic data, that strain CW 7(T) did not belong to the genus Bacillus, but should be placed in a new genus, for which the name Falsibacillus gen. nov. is proposed. The genus currently comprises a single species, Falsibacillus pallidus comb. nov. represented by the type strain CW 7(T) (=KCTC 13200(T)=CCTCC AB 207188(T)=LMG 24451(T)).