EYE-BRIGHT. 



55 



appearance of the stem ; beneath they are silvery green, with 

 parallel green nerves ; above, pale green, often partially covered 

 with the same silvery skin, marked with numerous reddish 

 brown spots, mostly oval and transverse, but sometimes 

 irregular. Flowers numerous, about forty, in a loose conical 

 spike. Corolla, usually pale purple ; anthers green. It flowers 

 in June and July. 



These plants grow chiefly in woods, and on damp meadows. 

 On dry pastures the size is reduced to the one-half, and has 

 fewer flowers. All grazing animals refuse to eat them. The 

 roots being strictly perennial, and the plant being seldom pro- 

 pagated by seed, the eradication consists in raising the roots 

 by means of small spades, and then destroying them. The 

 stalks and leaves are juicy, and retard the process of hay- 

 making. 



19. The Eye-bright," or the '^Euphrasia" of botany, 

 grows very abundantly on dry pastures. The plant belongs 

 to the class " Didynamia angiospermia " of Linneus, and the 

 natural order " Pediculares" of Jussieu. 



Generic character. — Calyx : perianth of one leaf, inferior, 

 cylindrical, four-cleft, equal, permanent. Corolla of one 

 petal, ringent ; tube as long as the calyx ; upper lip concave, 

 notched ; lower spreading, deeply three-lobed, its lobes, equal 

 and obtuse, notched. Stamina : filaments four, thread- 

 shaped, situated close under the upper lip ; anthers of two 

 lobes, the lobes unequally spinous at their lower extremities. 

 Pistil ; germen superior, ovate ; style thread- shaped, agreeing 

 in form and situation with the stamens; stigma obtuse, un- 

 divided. Pericarp : capsule ovate, oblong, compressed, of 

 two cells, and two valves \ the partition contrary to the valves. 

 Seeds numerous, minute, roundish, longitudinally striated. 



Essential character, — Calyx cylindrical, four- toothed, 

 equal ; upper lip of the corolla cloven ; lower three-lobed, the 

 lobes cloven. Anthers bearded with unequal spines. Cap- 

 sule ovate, oblong. Seeds striated. 



Two species abound in British pastures : the " Common 

 eye-bright," or the " Euphrasia officinalis," and the Red 

 eye-bright," or the "Euphrasia odontites." The former has 



