Taxonomy and distribution of the genus Santolina (Asteraceae) in Italy

The Santolina chamaecyparissus complex includes 13 species of dwarf aromatic evergreen shrubs from the western Mediterranean Basin. Five native occurring in Italy are currently accepted. Four them endemic to relatively restricted areas peninsula, whereas S. corsica Jord. & Fourr. is Corsica and Sardinia. taxonomic treatments Italian have been changing significantly past, probably due misinterpretation naturalised populations chamaecyparissus, a widely cultivated pentaploid species, which occasionally escapes cultivation through agamospermy or vegetative propagation. In this study, we carried out first quantitative morphometric comparative niche analyses concerning four continental (S. etrusca, ligustica, neapolitana, pinnata). Morphometric (PCoA, Random Forest, univariate analyses) show that these can be easily distinguished by combinations character states, (Schoener’s D similarity test) suggest they occur distinct climatic conditions. Based on our results, fully confirm distinctiveness species. An updated identification key, including all Italy, presented.&nbsp