Di-rhamnolipid and mixed rhamnolipid were added to rice straw degrading system to investigate their mechanism of stimulatory effect. By batch adsorption experiments, it was shown that the equilibrium adsorption time of rhamnolipids on rice straw single system was the shortest (50 min). The adsorption capacity of Trichoderma reesei single system was the strongest, whose Q(e,exp) for di-rhamnolipid and mixed rhamnolipid was 10.57 x 10 (2) mg.g(1) and 8.13 x 10(2) mg.g (1), respectively. The adsorption of rhamnolipids on consortia system was not the simple adduct of the two single systems. The adsorption of rhamnolipids on the three different systems might belong to chemisorptions. SEM and FTIR analyses were used to observe the morphology and to analyze the chemical functions in lignocellulosic biomass degradation with rhamnolipid. It was shown that after addition of rhamnolipids, the basic tissue in rice straw was severely destroyed and hydrogen bond was formed between biosurfactant and bacteria in lignocellulose degrading system. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.