Anchusa samothracica (Boraginaceae), a new species from the island of Samothraki, Greece

A new species of Anchusa, A. samothracica. is described from the island of Samothraki, in the north‐eastern Aegean sea. The species belongs to subg. Anchusa but shows a phenotypic differentiation from the Mediterranean and Anatolian congeneric taxa for a particular combination of vegetative and floral characters. Ecological traits are also peculiar, the species being restricted to the unique sandy beach of the island. SEM analyses provide additional information on the micromorphology of the indumentum, pollen grains, shape and receptive surface of the stigma, and mericarp coat surface. Some aspects concerning the systematic relationships and possible origin of the species are discussed. Due to its ecological specialization and localization in a site subjected to heavy goat grazing and touristic impact, A. samothracica is in need of total protection in its natural habitat and should be added to the Red Lists of plants of the European Community. A lectotype for Anchusa sartorii Gusul., a Greek endemic, is also designated.