''Euphrasia'', or eyebright, is a

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

of about 215

species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...

herbaceous Herbaceous plants are vascular plants that have no persistent woody stems above ground. This broad category of plants includes many perennials, and nearly all annuals and biennials. Definitions of "herb" and "herbaceous" The fourth edition of ...

flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (). The term angiosperm is derived from the Ancient Greek, Greek words (; 'container, vessel') and (; 'seed'), meaning that the seeds are enclosed with ...

s in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Orobanchaceae Orobanchaceae, the broomrapes, is a family (biology), family of mostly parasitic plants of the order (biology), order Lamiales, with about 90 genus, genera and more than 2000 species. Many of these genera (e.g., ''Pedicularis'', ''Rhinanthus'', ...

(formerly included in the

Scrophulariaceae The Scrophulariaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the figwort family. The plants are annual and perennial herbs, as well as shrubs. Flowers have bilateral (zygomorphic) or rarely radial (actinomorphic) symmetry. The Scr ...

), with a

cosmopolitan distribution In biogeography, a cosmopolitan distribution is the range of a taxon that extends across most or all of the surface of the Earth, in appropriate habitats; most cosmopolitan species are known to be highly adaptable to a range of climatic and en ...

. They are

hemiparasitic A parasitic plant is a plant that derives some or all of its nutritional requirements from another living plant. They make up about 1% of angiosperms and are found in almost every biome. All parasitic plants develop a specialized organ called the ...

grasses Poaceae ( ), also called Gramineae ( ), is a large and nearly ubiquitous family of monocotyledonous flowering plants commonly known as grasses. It includes the cereal grasses, bamboos, the grasses of natural grassland and species cultivated in ...

and other plants. Both the common and generic names refer to the plant's use in a lotion for treating eye

infection An infection is the invasion of tissue (biology), tissues by pathogens, their multiplication, and the reaction of host (biology), host tissues to the infectious agent and the toxins they produce. An infectious disease, also known as a transmis ...

s, with ''Euphrasia'' literally meaning 'good-cheer'. Many species are found in

alpine Alpine may refer to any mountainous region. It may also refer to: Places Europe * Alps, a European mountain range ** Alpine states, which overlap with the European range Australia * Alpine, New South Wales, a Northern Village * Alpine National P ...

or sub-alpine meadows where snow is common. Flowers usually are borne terminally, are

zygomorphic Floral symmetry describes whether, and how, a flower, in particular its perianth, can be divided into two or more identical or mirror-image parts. Uncommonly, flowers may have no axis of symmetry at all, typically because their parts are spir ...

, and have a lower petal shaped like a lip. The most common flower colours are purple, blue-white, and violet. Some species have yellow markings on the lower petal to act as a guide to pollinating insects. Alternative names, mainly in

herbalism Herbal medicine (also called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...

, are ''Augentrostkraut, Euphrasiae herba, Herba Euphrasiae'' and ''Herbe d'Euphraise''.

Use in herbalism and medicine

The plant was known to classical

herbalist Herbal medicine (also called herbalism, phytomedicine or phytotherapy) is the study of pharmacognosy and the use of medicinal plants, which are a basis of traditional medicine. Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of many herbal treatments ...

s, but then was not referred to until mentioned again in 1305.

Nicholas Culpeper Nicholas Culpeper (18 October 1616 – 10 January 1654) was an English botanist, herbalist, physician and astrologer.Patrick Curry: "Culpeper, Nicholas (1616–1654)", ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (Oxford, UK: OUP, 2004) His boo ...

assigned it to the

Zodiac The zodiac is a belt-shaped region of the sky that extends approximately 8° north and south celestial latitude of the ecliptic – the apparent path of the Sun across the celestial sphere over the course of the year. Within this zodiac ...

sign Leo, claiming that it strengthened the brain. It was also used to treat bad

memory Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembe ...

and

vertigo Vertigo is a condition in which a person has the sensation that they are moving, or that objects around them are moving, when they are not. Often it feels like a spinning or swaying movement. It may be associated with nausea, vomiting, perspira ...

. In the Elizabethan era, the plant was used in ales, and

Gervase Markham Gervase (or Jervis) Markham (ca. 1568 – 3 February 1637) was an English poet and writer. He was best known for his work ''The English Huswife, The English Huswife, Containing the Inward and Outward Virtues Which Ought to Be in a Complete Woma ...

's ''Countrie Farm'' (1616) said that one should "Drinke everie morning a small draught of Eyebright wine." Herbalists use eyebright as a

poultice A poultice or cataplasm, also called a fomentation, is a soft moist mass, often heated and medicated, that is applied to the skin to reduce inflammation, soothe pain, promote healing, or otherwise treat wounds or ailments. Soft materials like cer ...

with or without concurrent administration of a tea for the redness, swelling, and visual disturbances caused by

blepharitis Blepharitis, sometimes known as granulated eyelids, is one of the most common ocular conditions characterized by inflammation, scaling, reddening, and crusting of the eyelid. This condition may also cause swelling, burning, itching, or a grainy ...

, and

conjunctivitis Conjunctivitis, also known as pink eye or Madras eye, is inflammation of the conjunctiva, the thin, clear layer that covers the white surface of the eye and the inner eyelid. It makes the eye appear pink or reddish. Pain, burning, scratchiness ...

. The herb is also used for

eyestrain Eye strain, also medically termed as asthenopia (), is a common eye condition characterized by non-specific symptoms such as fatigue, pain in or around the eyes, blurred vision, headache, and occasional double vision. These symptoms tend to ...

and to relieve inflammation caused by

colds The common cold, or the cold, is a virus, viral infectious disease of the upper respiratory tract that primarily affects the Respiratory epithelium, respiratory mucosa of the human nose, nose, throat, Paranasal sinuses, sinuses, and larynx. ...

cough A cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the large breathing passages which can help clear them of fluids, irritants, foreign particles and Microorganism, microbes. As a protective reflex, coughing can be repetitive with the cough reflex fol ...

sinus infection Sinusitis, also known as rhinosinusitis, is an inflammation of the mucous membranes that line the sinuses resulting in symptoms that may include production of thick nasal mucus, nasal congestion, facial congestion, facial pain, facial pressure, ...

sore throat Sore throat, also known as throat pain, is pain or irritation of the throat. The majority of sore throats are caused by a virus, for which antibiotics are not helpful. For sore throat caused by bacteria (GAS), treatment with antibiotics may hel ...

s, and

hay fever Allergic rhinitis, of which the seasonal type is called hay fever, is a type of rhinitis, inflammation in the nose that occurs when the immune system overreacts to allergens in the air. It is classified as a Allergy, type I hypersensitivity re ...

. Parts used include the leaf, the stem, and small pieces of the flowers. Typical preparations include a

warm compress Warm, WARM, or Warmth may refer to: * A somewhat high temperature; heat * Kindness Music Albums * ''Warm'' (Herb Alpert album), 1969 * ''Warm'' (Jeff Tweedy album), 2018 * ''Warm'' (Johnny Mathis album), 1958, and the title song * ''Warm'' (T ...

, or tea. Eyebright preparations are also available as an extract or capsule. A 2010 report from the

European Medicines Agency The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is an agency of the European Union (EU) in charge of the evaluation and supervision of pharmaceutical products. Prior to 2004, it was known as the European Agency for the Evaluation of Medicinal Products ...

on the efficacy of Euphrasia remedies states:

From the presence of secondary metabolites, an astringent and anti-inflammatory activity can be hypothesized for Euphrasia preparations. The ocular use of Euphrasia is based upon tradition. However, since the efficacy of the claimed ocular uses is undocumented and external eye application is not hygienic, therapeutic use cannot be recommended.

Phylogeny

The phylogeny of the genera of

Rhinantheae Rhinantheae is a tribe with fewer than 20 genera of herbaceous plants in the family Orobanchaceae. Phylogeny The phylogeny of the genera of Rhinantheae has been explored using DNA markers. Three assemblages can be distinguished in this trib ...

has been explored using molecular characters. ''Euphrasia'' belongs to the core Rhinantheae. ''Euphrasia'' is the sister genus to '' Odontites'', '' Bellardia'', '' Tozzia'', and ''

Hedbergia ''Hedbergia'' is a monotypic genus of flowering plants, initially classified in Scrophulariaceae, and now within the broomrape family Orobanchaceae. It contains a unique species, ''Hedbergia abyssinica''. It is an afromontane genus, widesprea ...

''. In turn, these five genera share phylogenetic affinities with ''

Bartsia ''Bartsia'' is a genus of flowering plants in the family Orobanchaceae. Etymology ''Bartsia'' was named after Johann Bartsch (Latinized as Johannes Bartsius, 1709-1738), a botanist of Königsberg. The plant was named for him by his associate ...

''.

Taxonomy and identification

The genus ''Euphrasia'' is taxonomically complicated due to many species being interfertile and prone to hybridisation. Despite there having been a number of taxonomic revisions the appropriate rank of many taxa, as well as the relationships between them, remains unclear.

Selected species

* '' Euphrasia alpina'' * '' Euphrasia arguta'' – believed

extinct Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

until rediscovered in 2008 * '' Euphrasia brevipila'' * '' Euphrasia cambrica'' Pugsley * '' Euphrasia collina'' R.Br. – purple eyebright ** ''Euphrasia collina'' ssp. ''muelleri'' – Mueller's eyebright ** ''Euphrasia collina'' ssp. ''osbornii'' – Osborn's eyebright * '' Euphrasia coreana'' W.Becker – Korean eyebright * '' Euphrasia cuneata'' – North Island eyebright * '' Euphrasia crassiuscula'' Gand * '' Euphrasia fennica'' * '' Euphrasia fragosa'' – shy eyebright, Southport eyebright * '' Euphrasia frigida'' Pugsley – cold-weather eyebright * '' Euphrasia gibbsiae'' * '' Euphrasia glabrescens'' * '' Euphrasia hirtella'' * '' Euphrasia hudsoniana'' – Hudson's eyebright * '' Euphrasia lasianthera'' – hairy eyebright * '' Euphrasia micrantha'' Rchb. * '' Euphrasia minima'' * '' Euphrasia nemorosa'' (Pers.) Wallr. – common eyebright * '' Euphrasia officinalis'' – doctor's eyebright, or medical * '' Euphrasia oakesii'' – Oakes' eyebright * '' Euphrasia parviflora'' * '' Euphrasia pseudokerneri'' Pugsley – chalk eyebright * '' Euphrasia randii'' – small eyebright * ''

Euphrasia rostkoviana ''Euphrasia officinalis'', also known as eyebright or eyewort, is a species of plant in the family Orobanchaceae. ''Euphrasia officinalis'' herb has been used in the traditional Austrian medicine internally as tea, or externally as compresses, f ...

'' Hayne – red eyebright, "

figwort The genus ''Scrophularia'' of the family Scrophulariaceae comprises about 200 species of herbaceous flowering plants commonly known as figworts. Species of ''Scrophularia'' all share square stems, opposite leaves and open two-lipped flowers for ...

" * '' Euphrasia ruptura'' –

* ''

Euphrasia salisburgensis ''Euphrasia salisburgensis'' is a plant in the genus ''Euphrasia'', in the family Orobanchaceae. Characteristics and distribution It has a pan-European distribution occurring widely in base-rich sub-alpine areas. The variety ''hibernica'' has b ...

'' Funk. * '' Euphrasia scabra'' R.Br. – rough eyebright * '' Euphrasia semipicta'' – peninsula eyebright * '' Euphrasia striata'' R.Br. * '' Euphrasia stricta'' D.Wolff ex J.F.Lehm. * '' Euphrasia subarctica'' – arctic eyebright * '' Euphrasia suborbicularis'' – roundleaf eyebright * '' Euphrasia vernalis'' * '' Euphrasia vigursii'' Davey * '' Euphrasia vinacea'' – glacier eyebright * ''Euphrasia'' sp. 'Bivouac Bay' – Bivouac Bay eyebright

Footnotes

References

{{Authority control Orobanchaceae genera Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Parasitic plants