Abstract
A survey of fructophilic lactic acid bacteria associated with wild and cultivated plants in the metropolitan area of Valencia (Spain) led to the isolation of a novel strain of the genus Nicoliella, named Es01(T), from flowers of Lavandula angustifolia. The genus Nicoliella encompasses a single species, Nicoliella spurrieriana. Partial 16S rRNA coding gene sequencing revealed a similarity of 98.8% to N. spurrieriana SGEP1_A5(T). Average nucleotide identity (ANI) calculations revealed an ANI value of 80.49% with strain SGEP1_A5(T), the only N. spurrieriana strain with an available genomic sequence. A digital DNA-DNA hybridization value of 20% was estimated by the Type Strain Genome Server tool when Es01(T) was compared with strain SGEP1_A5(T). On the basis of these results, strain Es01(T) represents a novel species, for which the name Nicoliella lavandulae sp. nov. is proposed with Es01(T) (=CECT 30999(T)=DSMZ 117325(T)=CCM 9394(T)) as type strain.