Six strains of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) were isolated from a ripe fig. These strains constituted a highly homogeneous, but distinct, cluster that was separate from other LAB species in a polyphasic approach including dot-blot DNA–DNA hybridization, SDS-PAGE whole-cell protein profiling, carbohydrate fermentation ability, growth characteristics, enzymic profiling, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis macrorestriction analysis and RFLPs. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing positioned a representative strain, LC51^T, in a distinct line of descent within the recently described clade comprising Leuconostoc ficulneum, Leuconostoc fructosum and Leuconostoc durionis; L. ficulneum was its closest neighbour (98 % sequence similarity). DNA–DNA hybridization values and chemotaxonomic and biochemical characteristics, including enzymic profiles detected with API ZYM microtubes, confirmed that this group of strains is distinct from L. ficulneum and represents a novel species within the genus Leuconostoc. Taking into account the common origin and phylogenetic proximity, the name Leuconostoc pseudoficulneum sp. nov. is proposed. Strain LC51^T (=DSM 15468^T=CECT 5759^T) is the type strain; the DNA G+C content of this strain is 44.5 mol%.