During 2008, lavender (Lavandula pubescens) seedlings grown in Saudi Arabia were observed with symptoms of dark coloration of the stems with red or brown vascular tissue. The plant wilted and the root system was poorly developed. The fungus Fusarium oxysporum was isolated from the diseased plants. The identification was confirmed by the Indian Agricultural Research Institute in New Delhi. Pathogenicity of the isolates was demonstrated by inoculation.

Pollen grain morphology of 6 Plantago species of the family Plantaginaceae collected from Saudi Arabia have been observed under light and scanning electron microscope (SEM). Description of grain sculpture is illustrated by SEM. Plantaginaceae is a stenopalynous family. Pollen grains are free, medium-sized or small, radially symmetrical, apolar, porate, spherical or prolate spheroidal in shape with verrucate granulated sculpturing. Internal aperture has pores scattered on the wall of pollen grains.

In November 2008, a wilt of lavender (Lavandula pubescens) seedlings was observed in the greenhouse at King Saud University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Affected seedlings were wilted and the root system was poorly developed. Diseased stems developed a dark coloration that extended down to the roots. Vascular tissue of the affected seedlings appeared red or brown. Isolations consistently yielded a fungus growing from the discolored stem tissue when placed on potato dextrose agar.

This Floristic affinities of the Angiosperm flora of Farasan Archipelago are analyzed. Phytogeographically, it is an interesting area due to its location between a floristically rich North East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. As per the current estimates, 201 species of higher plants belonging to 49 families are present in an area of less than 600 km2. Among these 2.5% are regional endemics and 15 (7.5%) species are, so far, not reported from any other parts of the Arabian Peninsula.