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Euphrasia officinalis - L.

Common Name

Eyebright

Family

Scrophulariaceae

Synonyms

Known Hazards

None known

Habitats

Moist grassland and chalky pastures, semi-parasitic on grass[4, 7].

Range

W. Europe, including Britain, to E. Asia.

Edibility Rating

Medicinal Rating

Care

Summary

Physical Characteristics

ANNUAL growing to 0.2 m (0ft 8in) by 0.1 m (0ft 4in).
It is hardy to zone 6. It is in flower from Jul to September. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees, self.The plant is self-fertile.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils.The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils. and can grow in very alkaline soils.
It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade.It requires moist soil.


http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:246_Euphrasia_officinalis_L.jpg

http://www.geograph.org.uk/profile/139

Habitats
Lawn; Meadow;

Edible Uses
Edible Parts: Leaves. Leaves - raw[7]. They are occasionally used in salads for their slightly bitter flavour[7].

Medicinal Uses

Plants For A Future can not take any responsibility for any adverse effects from the use of plants. Always seek advice from a professional before using a plant medicinally.

Antiinflammatory; Astringent; Digestive; Homeopathy; Ophthalmic; Tonic.

Eyebright has a long history of herbal use in the treatment of eye problems and is still in current herbal use[4]. It is important that only the correct forms of eyebright, with glandular hairs on the calyx, are used, since other forms do not possess medicinal virtues[268]. Eyebright tightens the mucous membranes of the eye and appears to relieve the inflammation of conjunctivitis and blepharitis[254]. Its ability to counter catarrh means that it is often used for infectious and allergic conditions affecting the eyes, middle ear, sinuses and nasal passages[254]. The whole plant is anti-inflammatory, astringent, digestive, ophthalmic and slightly tonic[[4, 7, 9, 14, 165, 220]. It is taken internally in the treatment of catarrh, sinusitis, hay fever, upper respiratory tract infections etc[238]. As an ophthalmic, an infusion of the plant can be taken internally or used as an eye wash. Alternatively, the diluted juice can be dropped into the eyes[232]. Some caution should be exercised, experimentally it can induce side effects including dim vision[222]. The plant's astringency makes it inappropriate for treating dry or stuffy congestion[254]. The plant can be used externally as a poultice to aid the healing of wounds[268]. Eyebright should be harvested when in flower and can be dried for later use[238]. The dried herb is a ingredient of herbal smoking mixtures, used in the treatment of chronic bronchial colds[4]. A homeopathic remedy is made from the expressed juice of the plant[232]. It is used particularly in the treatment of eye inflammations and colds[7, 232].

Other Uses
None known

Cultivation details

Succeeds in most soils, preferring chalk or limestone[200]. Eyebright is a semi-parasitic plant, growing on the roots of various species of grass[4] and also on Trifolium pratense and Plantago species[238]. The grass does not seem to suffer unduly from this parasitism since eyebright is an annual and its cells do not penetrate very deeply into the grass[4]. There is some doubt over the validity of the name of this species, some botanists now call it Euphrasia rostkoviana. Eyebright is a variable aggregate species, some botanists divide it into a number of different species[1, 50]. Only those forms of eyebright which have glandular hairs on the calyx possess medicinal qualities[268]. It hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[200].

Propagation
Sow the seed outdoors in situ in early spring amongst grass in a moist but not marshy soil[1].

Expert comment

Author
L.

Botanical References
17200

Links / References

[1]F. Chittendon. RHS Dictionary of Plants plus Supplement. 1956

Comprehensive listing of species and how to grow them. Somewhat outdated, it has been replaces in 1992 by a new dictionary (see [200]).

[4]Grieve. A Modern Herbal.

Not so modern (1930's?) but lots of information, mainly temperate plants.

[7]Chiej. R. Encyclopaedia of Medicinal Plants.

Covers plants growing in Europe. Also gives other interesting information on the plants. Good photographs.

[9]Launert. E. Edible and Medicinal Plants.

Covers plants in Europe. a drawing of each plant, quite a bit of interesting information.

[14]Holtom. J. and Hylton. W. Complete Guide to Herbs.

A good herbal.

[50]? Flora Europaea

An immense work in 6 volumes (including the index). The standard reference flora for europe, it is very terse though and with very little extra information. Not for the casual reader.

[165]Mills. S. Y. The Dictionary of Modern Herbalism.

An excellent small herbal.

[200]Huxley. A. The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992.

Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.

[220]Stapleton. C. Bamboos of Nepal

An excelllent little booklet that looks in some detail at the native bamboos of Nepal, including looking at their uses.

[222]Foster. S. & Duke. J. A. A Field Guide to Medicinal Plants. Eastern and Central N. America.

A concise book dealing with almost 500 species. A line drawing of each plant is included plus colour photographs of about 100 species. Very good as a field guide, it only gives brief details about the plants medicinal properties.

[232]Castro. M. The Complete Homeopathy Handbook.

A concise beginner's guide to the subject. Very readable.

[238]Bown. D. Encyclopaedia of Herbs and their Uses.

A very well presented and informative book on herbs from around the globe. Plenty in it for both the casual reader and the serious student. Just one main quibble is the silly way of having two separate entries for each plant.

[254]Chevallier. A. The Encyclopedia of Medicinal Plants

An excellent guide to over 500 of the more well known medicinal herbs from around the world.

[268]Stuart. M. (Editor) The Encyclopedia of Herbs and Herbalism

Excellent herbal with good concise information on over 400 herbs.

Readers comment

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Subject : Euphrasia officinalis

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