Euphrasia Officinalis. Common Eyebright. 



EUPHRASIA Lim Gen. PL Didynamia Angiospermia* 



Cal. 4-fidus, cylindricus. Caps. 2-locularis, ovato-oblonga. Anther 'at 

 inferiores altero Iobo bafi fpinofae. 



Rati Syn. Gen. 18. Herb.e fructu sicco singulari flore monopetalo. 



EUPHRASIA officinalis foliis ovatis lineatis argute dentatis. Lin. Syfi. Vegetab. p. 460. Sp. PL 

 p. 481. FL Sueti n. 543. Hatter hift. 303. 



EUPHRASIA officinalis. Scopoli FL Cam. n. 753. 



EUPHRASIA ofRcinarum. Bank. pin. 233. Gcr. erridc. 063. Parkin/. ^329. Raii. Syn. p.* 

 284. Eyebright, Hudfon FL Angl. ed. 2. p. 268. Lightjoot FL Scot. p. 323, 



RADIX annua, fibrofa, albida. | ROOT annual, fibrous, and whirifh. 



GAUL IS bipollicaris ad palmarem et ultra, eretlus, | STALK from two to four inches high, or more, up- 

 teres, pubefcens, purpureus, plerumque ra- { right, round, hoary, purple, for the mod 



mofus. I part branched. 



FOLIA oppofita, ovata, obtufa, ferrato-dentata, den- $ LEAVES oppofite, ovate, obtufe, ferrated of indent- 

 tibus acuminatis, fupra convexis, fubtus con- | ed, teeth pointed, above coiivex, beneath 



cavis, minutim ciiiatis, utrinque hirfutula, $ concave, finely edged with hairs, (lightly 



fupra nitiduia, lineata, fubtus venofa. | hirfute on each fide, above fomewhat gloli)^ 



<> with lines impreffed, underneath veiny. 



RACEMUS terminalis, foliaceus, ereclus, floribus | RACEMUS terminal, leafy, upright, flowers in the 

 axillaribus, oppofitis, feffilibus. alas of the leaves, oppofite and feffile* 



CALYX: Per ianthium monophyllum, ovatum, an- | CALYX : a Perianthium of one leaf, ovate, an- 



gulatum, perfiftens, foliis paulo brevius, pu- § gular, permanent, a little fhorter than the 



befcens, quadrifidum, laciniis, lanceolatis, f leaves, pubefcent, divided into four fegments^ 



acuminatis, erectis, ciiiatis, fubasqualibus, $ which are lanceolate, long-pointed, upright. 



Jig. 1. I edged with hairs, and nearly equal, Jig. 1. 



COROLLA monopetala, alba, ringens ; Tubus cyYm- $ COROLLA monopetalous, white, ringent ; Tubecy- 

 dricus, albus, glaber, longitudine calycis, | lindrical, white, fmooth, the length of the 



fig. 2. Limbiis bilabiatus ; Labium fuperius <j. calyx, Jig. 2. Limb two-lip.'d ; upper Lip 



album, fubovatum, concavum, pubefcens, $ white, fomewhate ovate, hollow, downy, 



ftriis caerulefcentibus utrinque 3, intuspiftum, § painted on the infide with three blueiih 



obtufum, ereclum, bifidum, lobis emargina- | ftreaks on each fide, blunt, upright, bifida 



tisffig. 3 ; inferius fuperiori paulo majus, tri- <j> the lobes emarginate, fig. 3 ; the lower lip 



fidum, laciniis omnibus emarginatis, Jig. 4. \ fomewhat larger than the upper, trifid, all 



Faux undique ftriata, et picla ftriis caerulef- | the fegments emarginate, Jig. 4. Mouth ftri- 



centibus, antice vero colore luteo. ^ ated all round, and painted with blueifh 



I ftreaks, but anteriorly of a yellow colour. 



STAMINA: Filamenta quatuor, fubulata, pur- STAMINA : four tapering, purplifh Filaments in- 

 purafcentia, tubo ihferta, jig. 5. Anthers | ferted into the tube of the corolla, fig. 5. 



purpureas, bilobae, obtufa?, fubtus barbatae, 4 Anther/e purple, two-lob *d, obtufe, beard- 



conniventes, lobis fpinula terminatis, duabus Jj ed underneath, clofing together, the lobes 



inferioribus longioribus, Jig. 6, 7. q terminating in a fpine, the two low T ermoft 



§ the longeft, Jig. 6, 7, 



PISTILLUM: GERMENOvatum, obtufum, barbatum, | PISTILLUM: Germen ovate, obtufe, bearded, Jig. 

 fig. 8. Stylus filiformis, fuperne pubefcens, <> 8. Style, filiform, downy, on the upper 



fig. 9. Stigma obtufum, integrum, fig. 10. | part, fig. 9. Stigma blunt, and entire, fig. 10. 



PERICARPIUM: Capsula ovato-oblonga, com- <j> SEED-VESSEL : an ovate, oblong, Capsule, flat- 

 prefla, obtufa, mucronata, bilocularis, fig. 11. | tened, obtufe, with a fihort point, of two ca- 



<j> vities, Jig. 11. 



SEMINA plurima, albida, Rr'mta, fig. 12. $ SEEDS feveral, whitifn, and ftriated, fig. 12. 



Eyebright is a very common plant on heaths, and paftures, efpecially where the foil is chalky ; it varies 

 much in fize and in the branchednefs of its ftalk, as well as in the colour and fize of its bloffoms, and flowers 

 from July to September. 



Many writers on the Materia Medica, afcribe to this plant wonderful efficacy in diforders of the Eyes : 

 Alston fays, it has been long reckoned a fpecific opthalmic, and commended for dim, weak, and watery 

 eyes, for inflamed and fore eyes, for cataracts, &c. yea, it is faid to make old eyes become young again, 

 and the blind to fee. Milton, who moft probably from his own misfortune, had been induced to look into 

 books of this fort, thus mentions it : 



but to nobler fights 



" Michael from Adam's eyes the film remov'd, 

 " Which that falfe fruit that promis'd clearer fight 

 " Had bred ; then purg'd with euphrajy and rue 

 ** The vifual nerve, for he had much to fee." 



On the other hand, there are not wanting thofe who condemn its ufe, efpecially in inflammatory com- 

 plaints of the eyes ; a friend of Lobel's is faid nearly to have loft his eyefight by the ufe of it. In fuch 

 contrariety of fentiment, it will, perhaps, be moft prudent not to lay too much ftrefs, on fo doubtful a remedy, 



