Iris aphylla
Iris aphylla L.
Iridaceae – Iris family
Conservation status. Critically Endangered [CR B1ab(ii,iii,v)+2ab(ii,iii,v)]. BDA.
Morphology and biology. Perennial rhizomatous herb. Stems 15–30(50) cm, branched usually in lower half. Leaves equal to or usually longer than stem, 0.5–2 cm wide, flat, often falcate. Flowers (1)3–5 along the stem, usually blue-violet to purple, 6–7 cm in diameter. Spathes swollen, herbaceous, green, often purplish at apex. Outer perianth segments with a beard of white to blue, more rarely yellow cilia on upper surface. Fruit a capsule. Seeds globose to pyriform, orange or reddish-brown. Fl. IV–V, fr. V–VI. Sometimes a secondary flowering in autumn is observed. Pollination by insects. Reproduction by seeds and vegetatively.
Habitats and populations. In open, grassy rocky or stony places. In Bulgaria, it occurs on limestone.
Distribution in Bulgaria. Rhodopi Mts (eastern); up to 300 m alt. Two localities have been reported (in Kurdzhali town and at railway station Zhelezni Vrata near Kurdzhali town). The former locality has been completely destroyed; the species has not been confirmed in the latter locality since 1976.
General distribution. C and E Europe (extending eastwards to Hungary and Romania, the Carpathians, Ukraine, European Russia and the Caucasus). There are isolated localities in SW Alps in Italy, as well as in the Balkan Peninsula (SW Albania, E Serbia).
Threats. Infrastructure development (industry, human settlement development, transport); destruction of the rocks for extracting of inert materials; industrial air and soil pollution; collecting for ornamental purposes; limited distribution of the species.
Conservation measures taken. Protected species according to the national Biodiversity Act.
Conservation measures needed. Research on population number and range, species biology and ecology, threats. Preservation of of seed material in the National Seed Genebank of Bulgaria.
References. Cheshmedzhiev 1967; Delipavlov 2003.
Author: Daniella Ivanova
