Euphrasia vigursii
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Lamiales
Family: Orobanchaceae
Genus: Euphrasia
Species:
E. vigursii
Binomial name
Euphrasia vigursii

Euphrasia vigursii, also known by its common names of Vigur's eyebright[3] or Cornish eyebright,[4] is an endangered annual of the eyebright family which is endemic to Devon and Cornwall.[5][6][7] It is a facultative hemiparasite and needs open conditions and regular grazing of larger shrubs and grasses to grow.[8][9] It is named after C. C. Vigurs, a Cornish doctor and botanist.[1]

Appearance

E. vigursii can be identified by its bright reddish-purple flowers and long glandular hairs on its upper leaves.[7] It has dull grey-green leaves, often permeated with violet or black due to anthocyanins.[10] It is considered a stable hybrid between Euphrasia micrantha and Euphrasia anglica.[10]

Distribution

E. vigursii is endemic to the Agrostis curtisii-Ulex galli heathlands of South West England,[9][11] specifically Cornwall and Devon.[7] The largest global population of E. virgusii is believed to be Lydford High Down in Dartmoor National Park, Devon,[7][11] which had 21,000 instances in 2002.[8] This dropped as low as 97 in 2004 but has since recovered to a stable level at between 250 and 350 (for comparison, levels recorded at other sites in Devon have never reached more than 10).[7] It has been recorded in the Mid Cornwall Moors SSSI, which was created in 2017.[12]

References

  1. 1 2 F. Hamilton Davey (June 1907). "Euphrasia vigursii sp. n." Journal of Botany, British and Foreign. 45: 217-220. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  2. ↑ "Euphrasia vigursii Davey". Catalog of Life 2014. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  3. ↑ "Euphrasia vigursii - Vigur's Eyebright". Aphotoflora. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  4. ↑ McCarthy, Michael (16 May 1998). "A quiet British tragedy". The Independent. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  5. ↑ "Mid Cornwall Moors SSSI" (PDF). DEFRA. p. 3. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  6. ↑ "Euphrasia vigursii Davey". Natural History Museum. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "Dartmoor Delivery Plan for Vigur's Eyebright" (PDF). Dartmoor.gov. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  8. 1 2 Fotherby, Richard; Ramsay, Paul. "Conservation of Euphrasia vigursii, an endemic plant of SW England". p. 1. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.539.163.
  9. 1 2 "Euphrasia vigursii Davey". NBN Atlas. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  10. 1 2 Granados, L.; Lane, S. D. (2007). "A fine scale study of selected environmental and floristic parameters in three populations of Euphrasia vigursii (Davey), a rare annual endemic to Devon and Cornwall" (PDF). Watsonia. 26: 347–358. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  11. 1 2 Ramsay, Paul; Fotherby, Richard (May 2007). "Implications of the spatial pattern of Vigur's Eyebright (Euphrasia vigursii) for heathland management". Basic and Applied Ecology. 8 (3): 242–251. doi:10.1016/j.baae.2006.06.001. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  12. ↑ "Mid Cornwall Moors SSSI Supporting Information" (PDF). Natural England. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. 23 February 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2023.
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