Calamintha sandaliotica ( Lamiaceae ) a new species from Sardinia by

Calamintha sandaliotica is described as a species new to science and illustrated. It occurs on calcareous rocky crevices in SW Sardinia. Its ecology, chorology and taxonomical relationships are examined. A key to European Calamintha is provided.


Introduction
During field investigations on the flora of Sardinia, it was found a peculiar population of Calamintha Miller, very different from the other species known in the Mediterranean area.It colonizes the rocky crevices in a gorge of Paleozoic limestones and dolomites in the Iglesiente subsector.Morphologically, the plants were characterized by a pulvinate suffruticose woody habit, and very small leaves and flowers.Due to these features, unusual in the genus Calamintha (Litardière, 1955;Ball, 1972;Ball & Getliffe, 1972;Davis & Leblebici, 1982;Morales & Luque, 1997), this population represents a well differentiated taxon and must be treated as a species new to science.

Etymology:
The epithet refers to Sandalia, an old name for Sardinia.
Distribution: This species is very rare and localized in a small gorge near Buggerru (Fig. 4) in the Iglesiente subsector (SW Sardinia).
Habitat: Calamintha sandaliotica is a typical chasmophyte, occurring in rocky habitats of Paleozoic limestones and dolomitic-limestones at an altitude of 80-260 m.This area is characterized by a mediterranean pluviseasonal-oceanic bioclimate.Thermotypes range between upper thermomediterranean and lower mesomediterranean, and ombrotypes between upper dry and lower subhumid (Bacchetta, 2000).The species is a member of a rupestrial community of Asplenietea trichomanis (Br.-Bl. in Meier & Br.-Bl., 1934) Oberd. 1977, rich  Phenology: Flowering in May-September, fruiting in July-December.
Conservation status: For its rarity, low number of individuals in the only known population, and threat caused by climbers (the site is very popular for free climbing and other outdoor activities), we suggest to add C. sandaliotica in the regional red lists of the IUCN, as critically endangered (CR).In particular, basing on the criteria of IUCN (2001IUCN ( , 2003)), the following specific category is proposed: CR B1ab(ii,iii,v) + 2ab(ii,iii,v); C2a(ii).