An aerobic, brown-pigmented, non-spore-forming, endophytic bacterium, designated strain Zy-3^T, was isolated from root nodules of Sphaerophysa salsula, a native leguminous herb belonging to the family Leguminosae growing in north-western China. Cells of strain Zy-3^T were non-motile, Gram-negative rods. Strain Zy-3^T produced siderophores and showed antifungal activity. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence indicated that the closest relative of this organism was Paracoccus halophilus HN-182^T (96.6 % sequence similarity). On the basis of genotype, fatty acid patterns and physiological characteristics, a novel species Paracoccus sphaerophysae sp. nov. is proposed, with Zy-3^T (=ACCC 05413^T =HAMBI 3106^T) as the type strain.