Moluccella bucharica, Otostegia Bukharskaya Assessment by: Khabibullaev, B., Shomurodov, Kh. & Omar, K

Geographic Range
Range Description:
Moluccella bucharica is a rare species, restricted to gypsum areas of the south-western Pamir-Alay
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Moluccella bucharica – published in 2021.
https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T198563178A198563231.en
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(Uzbekistan). It is endemic to the foothill areas of the western Hissar ridge in the south-western Pamir-
Alay, Uzbekistan, with a narrow altitudinal range between 1,142 and 1,450 m a.s.l. The species has two
subpopulations which are separated from each other. A large subpopulation grows in the gypsum
foothill area between the villages of Derbend-Shurob (N38°12,413'; E66°57,733'), a small subpopulation
grows around the village of Gurkhozhi (N38°15,484'; E66°55,380'). The distance between the two
subpopulations is 6.5 km. Its extent of occurrence (EOO) and area of occupancy (AOO) are both
estimated to be 8 km².
Country Occurrence:
Native, Extant (resident): Uzbekistan
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Moluccella bucharica – published in 2021.
https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T198563178A198563231.en
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Distribution Map
© The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species: Moluccella bucharica – published in 2021.
https://dx.doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2021-3.RLTS.T198563178A198563231.en
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Population
The existing subpopulations of Moluccella bucharica grow in very small, isolated areas on gypsaceous
foothills. The number of adult plants in 1977 was 2,860 in 3 subpopulations (Belolipov 1980); in 2005 a
total number of 1974 individuals has been counted (Tojibaev 2009); in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2018 the
subpopulations were monitored, but the number of tufts was not counted (Tojibaev et al. 2019); today
only 2 subpopulations of the species are preserved, with a total of about 600 individual plants (in the
subpopulation in Derbend-Shurab there are about 400, in the subpopulation in Gurkhozhi there are
about 200 individuals) (Khabibullaev unpublished data). Around 95% of the individuals are mature.
During the last 20 years these subpopulations have been subject to large changes in the total number of
individuals, cover and density. The plant seed dormancy is very long and seed germination under normal
conditions germination may take several years, so it will be difficult to compensate the dead individuals
by new generations. In addition, 85-90 percent of plant seeds are damaged by insects. 
Belolipov (1980) did not observe any renewal from seeds during the past 15 years. From unpublished
work at Levichev’s Botanical Institute about crucial research on the seed renewal of a population
growing along a pedestrian route of 5 km length in 1987, not a single seedling has been observed.
However, 3 to 4 year old individuals were detected, obviously being of seminal origin (Tojibaev 2009).
The overall trend of the population size and the number of mature individuals is decreasing due to the
numerous threats affecting the species.