Euphrasia
Sign in to saveEuphrasia, or eyebright, is a genus of about 215 species of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Orobanchaceae (formerly included in the Scrophulariaceae), with a cosmopolitan distribution. They are hemiparasitic on grasses and other plants. Both the common and generic names refer to the plant's use in a lotion for treating eye infections, with Euphrasia literally meaning 'good-cheer'.
Taxonomy · GBIF
GENUS
- KingdomPlantae
- PhylumTracheophyta
- ClassMagnoliopsida
- OrderLamiales
- FamilyOrobanchaceae
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Wikidata facts
- Instance of
- taxon
- Parent taxon
- Orobanchaceae
- Image
- Augentrost.jpg
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Article
6 sectionsContents
- Use in herbalism and medicine
- Phylogeny
- Taxonomy and identification
- Selected species
- Footnotes
- References
Euphrasia, or eyebright, is a genus of about 215 species of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Orobanchaceae (formerly included in the Scrophulariaceae), with a cosmopolitan distribution. They are hemiparasitic on grasses and other plants. Both the common and generic names refer to the plant's use in a lotion for treating eye infections, with Euphrasia literally meaning 'good-cheer'.
Many species are found in alpine or sub-alpine meadows where snow is common. Flowers usually are borne terminally, are zygomorphic, 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.