Santolina ageratifolia Bamades ex Asso (Compositae) and their relationships with S. rosmarinifolia L

The status of Santolina ageratifolia Bamades ex Asso as a distinct species belonging to S. rosmarinifolia L. aggr. is vindicated. An historical approach, a revisión of the diagnostic characters and a detailed chorology of the species in Spain is presented. Likewise, some doubtful questions conceming taxonomy and chorology in Spain of the whole aggregate (including S. rosmarinifolia L. s. str., S. canescens Lag., S. pectinata Lag. and S. semidentata Hoffmanns. & Link) are clarified. A new nomenclatural combination is proposed: S. semidentata subsp. melidensis (Rodríguez-Oubiña & Ortiz) López Udias, Fabregat & Mateo.