<p>The population of _Euphorbia santamariae_ on Santa Maria island represents a unique case of extremely restricted endemism, occurring exclusively in two private land parcels known as "Salto de Baixo/Cai &Aacute;gua," in the Vale da Ribeira do Salto. Initially described by Hanno Schaefer in 2002 as a subspecies of the trovisco-macho (_Euphorbia stygiana_ subsp. _stygiana_), which occurs on other Azorean islands, this plant was later reassessed by the same author, who recognized sufficient morphological and ecological differences to elevate it to species status. It was formally published in 2021 as _Euphorbia santamariae_.<br><br>The Santa Maria trovisco-macho is the only endemic shrub restricted to a single island, with only a few dozen individuals surviving in a hard-to-access area on the eastern half of Santa Maria. This extremely limited distribution makes the species particularly vulnerable to threats such as invasive alien plants.<br><br>To support its conservation, the LIFE IP AZORES NATURA project has been implementing management actions at the site, including the removal of invasive species such as _Pittosporum undulatum_ and _Hedychium gardnerianum_. Additionally, between March 2021 and March 2022, 77 individuals were reintroduced into the wild, contributing to the reinforcement and recovery of this rare and highly threatened population.<br><br>Given the extreme rarity and vulnerability of this species, it would be strategic for the Regional Government of the Azores to acquire the land parcels where this population occurs, ensuring its long-term protection, the effective implementation of conservation measures, and the safeguarding of this unique natural heritage.</p>