Iris lortetii
Overview
A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.
Iris lortetii faces severe pressure from habitat destruction due to urban expansion and agricultural development across its limited Mediterranean range. Overgrazing by livestock has degraded the rocky slopes and scrubland where this endemic iris naturally occurs. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns and increased drought frequency, which directly impacts the species' specialized habitat requirements.
Habitat
This endemic iris inhabits rocky slopes, limestone outcrops, and Mediterranean scrubland at elevations between 200-1000 meters. It typically grows in well-drained, calcareous soils among sparse vegetation in semi-arid mountainous regions of the eastern Mediterranean.
