A bacterial strain, 13-$25^T$ with xylanolytic activity isolated from a single soil sample, was characterized with respect to its phenetic and phylogenetic characteristics. The cells of the isolate are Gram-staining variable rods, but spore formation was not observed. This strain is catalase- and oxidase-positive, and able to degrade starch and xylan. The predominant fatty acids are anteiso-$C_{15:0}$, $C_{16:0}$, and iso-$C_{16:0}$. The major respiratory quinone is menaquinone 7(MK-7), with a polar lipid profile consistent with the genus Cohnella. The DNA G+C content is 54.3 mol%. The 168 rRNA gene sequence analysis indicates that this organism belongs to the genus Cohnella, with Cohnella panacarvi as the closest phylogenetic neighbor. Low levels of 168 rRNA gene sequence similarity (<97.0%) with respect to other taxa with published names and the identification of distinctive phenetic features in the isolate indicate that the strain 13-$25^T$ represents a novel species of the genus Cohnella, for which the name Cohnella damensis sp. novo is proposed. The type strain is 13-$25^T$ (=CCTCC AB $208103^T$=KCTC $13422^T$).