Isolation of Clostridium from Yunnan-Tibet hot springs and description of Clostridium thermarum sp. nov. with lignocellulosic ethanol production.

•Twelve Clostridium were isolated from Yunnan-Tibet hot spring. Two novel strains designated as SYSU GA15002T and SYSU GA17076 showed positive activities for hydrolysis of avicel 101, sodium carboxymethylcellulose and xylan.•Strains SYSU GA15002T and SYSU GA17076 belonged to the same species, for which the name Clostridium thermarum sp. nov. (type strain SYSU GA15002T (=DSM 100530T=KCTC 15658T)) is proposed.•Based on the experimental results and genome analysis, strain SYSU GA15002T can utilize cellulose, cellobiose, xylan and the straw powder to produce ethanol, which displayed a single-step conversion of lignocellulose biomass through consolidated bioprocessing.