Purple Gentian
Gentiana purpurea
Conservation status data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Photo: Wikimedia Commons (CC) via https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gentiana_purpurea
Taxonomy & Classification
Kingdom
Plantae
Phylum
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Order
Gentianales
Family
Gentianaceae
Genus
Gentiana
Purple Gentian belongs to the family Gentianaceae, order Gentianales, within the Magnoliopsida class.
Species Profile
Species profile data sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.
Purple Gentian faces severe population declines due to habitat loss from agricultural expansion and tourism development in mountain regions. Climate change poses an additional critical threat as warming temperatures force this alpine specialist to retreat to increasingly limited high-elevation refugia. Over-collection for traditional medicine and ornamental purposes has further reduced wild populations across its range.
Key Facts
Habitat & Distribution
Alpine and subalpine meadows, grasslands, and rocky slopes at elevations between 500-3000 meters in European mountain ranges. Typically found in calcareous soils of the Alps, Pyrenees, and other montane regions with cool, moist conditions.
Threats
IUCN Red List: Critically Endangered
Purple Gentian faces severe population declines due to habitat loss from agricultural expansion and tourism development in mountain regions. Climate change poses an additional critical threat as warming temperatures force this alpine specialist to retreat to increasingly limited high-elevation refugia. Over-collection for traditional medicine and ornamental purposes has further reduced wild populations across its range.
Climate change forcing upslope migration to limited refugia
Habitat loss from agricultural expansion and tourism development
Over-collection for medicinal and ornamental use
Fragmentation of mountain populations
Grazing pressure from livestock in alpine meadows
National vs Global Threat Status
How this species is assessed at the national level compared to its IUCN global status (CR).
| Country | National Status | Global Status | Comparison |
|---|---|---|---|
| EU | LCLeast Concern | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
| EU | LCLeast Concern | CRCritically Endangered | Lower local risk |
National Red List data sourced from the National Red List Project (nationalredlist.org, ZSL) and country-specific Red List authorities.
Community Sightings
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Sources & Attribution
How to Cite
IUCN: IUCN (2025). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2025-1. Available at: https://www.iucnredlist.org. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2025-1.RLTS
GBIF: GBIF.org (2025). GBIF Home Page. Available at: https://www.gbif.org
National Red Lists: ZSL (2025). National Red List. Zoological Society of London. Available at: https://www.nationalredlist.org
This page: SpeciesRadar (2025). Purple Gentian (Gentiana purpurea). SpeciesRadar: Intelligence for Earth's Biodiversity. Available at: https://speciesradar.org/species/purple-gentian