CR

Takhtadjyan's Allochrusa

Allochrusa takhtajanii

Unknown

Overview

Acanthophyllum takhtajanii, or Takhtadjyan's allochrusa, is a species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is endemic to Armenia, where it is only found in one location near Surenavan in the Urts Mountains in steppe at 800 m elevation. It is threatened by shifting agriculture and overgrazing.

Allochrusa takhtajanii faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and urban development in its limited range. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized disturbances, while climate change poses additional pressure on its specialized habitat requirements. Overgrazing by livestock has degraded much of its remaining habitat, reducing available growing sites.

Threat summary

Habitat

This species inhabits rocky slopes and alpine meadows in mountainous regions, typically growing in well-drained soils at high elevations. It requires specific microhabitat conditions with adequate moisture and protection from extreme weather events.

Grassland· major

Conservation measures underway

Species recovery

Other threatened species in CARYOPHYLLACEAE

Schiedea diffusaCR

Schiedea diffusa

Declining
Schiedea kaalaeCR

Schiedea kaalae

Declining
VU

Pycnophyllum spathulatum

Unknown
VU

Silene aristidis

Unknown

Threatened in Armenia

Scarce BlackneckCR

Scarce Blackneck

Lygephila craccae

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Asian HoubaraVU

Asian Houbara

Chlamydotis macqueenii

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Blind SnailVU

Blind Snail

Cecilioides acicula

Unknown
EN

Zangezurian Cornflower

Psephellus zangezuri

Unknown

Frequently asked questions

Why is Takhtadjyan's Allochrusa classified as Critically Endangered?
Takhtadjyan's Allochrusa 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. Allochrusa takhtajanii faces severe threats from habitat destruction due to agricultural expansion and urban development in its limited range. The species' extremely restricted distribution makes it particularly vulnerable to localized disturbances, while climate change poses additional pressure on its specialized habitat requirements. Overgrazing by livestock has degraded much of its remaining habitat, reducing available growing sites.
Where does Takhtadjyan's Allochrusa live?
Takhtadjyan's Allochrusa occurs in Armenia. Country-level distribution data is sourced from the IUCN Red List and cross-referenced with GBIF occurrences.
What are the main threats to Takhtadjyan's Allochrusa?
The main threats to Takhtadjyan's Allochrusa are 2.1, 2.1.1, 2.3, and ai-1. The full IUCN-classified threat record for this species is detailed on the species page.

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