Musella lasiocarpa

For many years, this species was considered to be Extinct in the Wild (Liu et al. 2003) but nine wild subpopulations have been discovered since 2004. There are only very few plants in most of these subpopulations, and fewer than 10 plants in some (Ma et al. 2019). Specific numbers are available for the subpopulations at Yongsheng and Panzhihua, with 8 and 130 individuals, respectively (Ma et al. 2011, Ma et al. 2019). Geographical isolation, low levels of estimated gene flow among populations, low seed germination rates, and intensive agricultural activity within its native region are thought to have contributed to an historic reduction in numbers and the fragmentation of suitable habitat (Ma et al. 2019, POWO 2019). Given these factors, and the lack of conservation measures in place, it is suspected that the global wild population is small and remains in decline, and that the subpopulations are severely fragmented. Further research into population status would be beneficial in establishing a figure for the global population size, and in validating the contemporary population trend for the species.