Common Name: Eyebright

General Information

Euphrasia officinalis is an erect, hemiparasitic, annual plant that usually grows up to 15cm tall, though it can reach 50cm[].
Eyebright is harvested from the wild for local use as a food and medicine. The plant has a long history of herbal use in the treatment of eye problems and is still in current herbal use[].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

,

Range

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

Habitat

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

Properties

Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Habit	Annual
Height	0.15 m
Pollinators	Bees, Self
Self-fertile	Yes
Cultivation Status	Wild

Cultivation Details

Succeeds in most soils, preferring chalk or limestone[]. Eyebright is a semi-parasitic plant, growing on the roots of various species of grass[] and also on Trifolium pratense and Plantago species[]. 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[].
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[, ]. Only those forms of eyebright which have glandular hairs on the calyx possess medicinal qualities[]. It hybridizes freely with other members of this genus[].

Edible Uses

Leaves - raw[]. They are occasionally used in salads for their slightly bitter flavour[].

Medicinal

Eyebright has a long history of herbal use in the treatment of eye problems and is still in current herbal use[]. 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[].

Eyebright tightens the mucous membranes of the eye and appears to relieve the inflammation of conjunctivitis and blepharitis[]. 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[].
The whole plant is anti-inflammatory, astringent, digestive, ophthalmic and slightly tonic[[, , , , , ]. It is taken internally in the treatment of catarrh, sinusitis, hay fever, upper respiratory tract infections etc[].
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[].
Some caution should be exercised, experimentally it can induce side effects including dim vision[]. The plant's astringency makes it inappropriate for treating dry or stuffy congestion[].
The plant can be used externally as a poultice to aid the healing of wounds[].
Eyebright should be harvested when in flower and can be dried for later use[].

The dried herb is a ingredient of herbal smoking mixtures, used in the treatment of chronic bronchial colds[].

A homeopathic remedy is made from the expressed juice of the plant[]. It is used particularly in the treatment of eye inflammations and colds[, ].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

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