Euphrasia Spp, Eyebright



Common name:
Eyebright
Scientific name:
Euphrasia spp
Main flower color:
Range:
All across the UK; around 30 separate species, all very similar in appearance and hard to distinguish
Height:
Up to 25 cm
Habitat:
Grassland, heaths, open woodland; a semi-parasitic species
Flowers:
The corolla is white, with two-lips; the upper shallowly divided into two lobes, the lower more deeply divided into three lobes, these also lobed, more shallowly. Lobes are crossed with parallel purple veins, and the mid lobe of the lower lip has a yellow patch at the centre. The calyx is bell-shaped, divided around half its length into four equally-sized lobes. Flowers are generally small, in the range 5 mm to 10 mm
Leaves:
Ovate, fleshy, lined with a few large, sharp teeth, hairy or hairless, sometimes tinged with brown or purple
Season:
May to September
Rarity:
★★★★★