Romulea insularis
CR

Romulea insularis

Unknown

Photo: (c) Roberto Sindaco, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC-SA), uploaded by Roberto Sindaco

Overview

A detailed profile for this species is sourced from the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species as assessments become available.

Romulea insularis faces severe threats from its extremely restricted range on Mediterranean islands, where coastal development and tourism infrastructure have destroyed much of its native habitat. The species is particularly vulnerable to trampling and soil disturbance from recreational activities, while invasive plant species compete for the limited suitable growing sites. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns that could disrupt the species' specialized bulb dormancy cycle.

Threat summary

Habitat

Romulea insularis occupies sandy coastal soils and rocky crevices in Mediterranean scrubland and garrigue vegetation. The species typically grows in open, well-drained sites with shallow soils over limestone or volcanic substrates, often in areas with seasonal moisture availability.

Conservation measures underway

Site/area protectionSpecies recoveryEx-situ conservation

Other threatened species in IRIDACEAE

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Lepiota echinella

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Lyophyllum deliberatum

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Arum apulum

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Pipizella nigriana

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Frequently asked questions

Why is Romulea insularis classified as Critically Endangered?
Romulea insularis is classified as Critically Endangered — facing an extremely high risk of extinction in the wild — because population sizes are very small, declining sharply, or restricted to a tiny range. Romulea insularis faces severe threats from its extremely restricted range on Mediterranean islands, where coastal development and tourism infrastructure have destroyed much of its native habitat. The species is particularly vulnerable to trampling and soil disturbance from recreational activities, while invasive plant species compete for the limited suitable growing sites. Climate change poses an additional threat through altered precipitation patterns that could disrupt the species' specialized bulb dormancy cycle.
Where does Romulea insularis live?
Romulea insularis occurs in Italy. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Romulea insularis?
The main threats to Romulea insularis are 2.3, ai-1, ai-2, and ai-3. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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