Euphrasia arctica Arctic Eyebright

Despite its name, Arctic Eyebright is not uncommon in the west and north of Britain and it may be more common than Common Eyebright (Euphrasia nemorosa) in much of Wales. Some of its distictive features include its relatively large flowers and broad leaves. It hybridises with other Euphrasia species such as Euphrasia nemorosa and Euphrasia confusa. It is probably widely distributed in West Glamorgan occuring in damp grassland and unimproved mesotrophic grasslands, including hay meadows. It has been recorded most in Neath Port Talbot but this is largely a reflection of recorder effort. Euphrasia arctica has been split into 2 subspecies in the past, ssp. arctica and ssp. borealis, the latter regarded as the more common taxon in Wales and other parts of western Britain. However there is much overlap in their distinguishing characters and Metherell and Rumsey (2018) have lumped them together.

Native