Under iron‐restricted conditions, Pseudomonas aeruginosa PA01 produced large amounts of the fluorescent pigment, pyoverdine, which is a siderophore of this organism. Maximum iron uptake was found in P. aeruginosa PA01 only in the presence of its own pyoverdine and not in those from other Pseudomonas species, suggesting species specificity of pyoverdine for ion uptake. An iron‐binding protein (60 000 mol.wt.) present in outer membranes of iron‐restricted cultures was absent from iron‐supplemented cultures.