Bourreria scabra Thulin & Razafim.  (Boraginaceae), a new species from southern Madagascar, is described and illustrated. The plant was previously sometimes treated as conspecific with  Bourreria lyciacea Thulin [[  Hilsenbergia lyciacea (Thulin) J.S. Mill.] in Somalia and Kenya. However,  Bourreria scabra differs markedly from  Bourreria lyciacea by its smaller corolla, finely pubescent outside and with shorter lobes, by its practically unbranched style, by its smaller fruits more or less enclosed by the calyx, and by its smaller pyrenes with several low ridges forming an irregular reticulation on the outside. Bourreria scabra differs from all other species of  Bourreria P. Browne in Madagascar by the very rough upper surface of the leaves. The species is widespread in spiny dry forests in southern Madagascar, with occurrences in the Andohahela and Tsimanampetsotsa National Parks and the Beza Mahafaly Reserve. The new species is assigned the category of “Near Threatened” using the IUCN Red List Criteria.