Abstract: In many Chinese references, Sinorhizobium meliloti was wrongly translated into苜蓿中华根瘤菌 (Mu Xu Zhong Hua Gen Liu Jun). However, the species epithet meliloti came and latinized from the legume Melilotus, so the Sinorhizobium meliloti should be translated into草木樨中华根瘤菌(Cao Mu Xi Zhong Hua Gen Liu Jun) in Chinese. Another rhizobial species within the genus Sinorhizobium—S. medicae which was closely related to S. meliloti, was isolated from another legume Medicago named and Latinized after it. So the Sinorhizobium medicae should be translated into 苜蓿中华根瘤菌(Mu Xu Zhong Hua Gen Liu Jun) in Chinese.

Key words: Sinorhizobium medicae, Sinorhizobium meliloti