A new species of Lavandula (Lamiaceae) is described from the Western Hajar Mountains of Oman. The species is fully described and illustrated. Habitat details and an assessment of its conservation status are provided.

Horehound seed from Wyperfeld (Wyp90 and Wyp93) had optimum germination (98%) at constant 25 C and alternating 30/15 C at 0 MPa, while seed from Swift's Creek (SC93) had optimum germination at constant 25 to 27 C (84%) or alternating 25/15 C (95%). The Generalized Additive Models showed the effects of the three covariates (temperature, temperature difference and water potential) followed a smooth and regular pattern. Germination of SC93, Wyp90 and Wyp93 seed increased (P < 0.001) by 9.1, 6.1, and 11.6% for each degree increase in temperature difference but decreased (P < 0.001) with decreases in water potential by a factor of 4.1, 4.8, and 7.1 respectively, and ceased at −1.5 MPa. At constant temperatures the odds of germination were 27, 19, and 18% smaller for water potentials of 0, −0.25 and −0.5 MPa than when alternating temperatures varied by 15 C.

The role of smoke in fire-stimulated germination in the Mediterranean Basin has often been underestimated. A few records on smoke-enhanced germination are present in Mediterranean Lamiaceae species, but there is still a shortage of information to allow generalizations about this family to be made. To test the hypothesis that smoke enhances germination in Mediterranean Lamiaceae species, we performed a germination experiment, including aqueous smoke treatments in various concentrations (1:1, 1:10 and 1:100) on seven eastern Mediterranean Lamiaceae taxa. Six of the studied taxa (Lavandula stoechas, Origanum onites, Phlomis bourgaei, Stachys cretica ssp. smyrnaea, Satureja thymbra, Teucrium lamiifolium ssp. stachyophyllum) showed significant increments in germination percentage in at least one smoke treatment, as compared to the control. Moreover, L. stoechas, S. thymbra and T. lamiifolium ssp. stachyophyllum displayed faster germination in at least one smoke treatment than in the control. Of the species showing significant increments in germination percentages after aqueous smoke application, at least one single concentration of smoke solution did not stimulate germination, except in L. stoechas and S. thymbra which responded positively to all smoke treatments. Therefore, the concentration of aqueous smoke that improved germination was species-specific. Our results contribute to the current limited knowledge on smoke-enhanced germination in Mediterranean Lamiaceae, and support the idea that smoke is an important germination cue for this family.