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]

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

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. 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. "Dartmoor Delivery Plan for Vigur's Eyebright" (PDF). Dartmoor.gov. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  8. Fotherby, Richard; Ramsay, Paul. "Conservation of Euphrasia vigursii, an endemic plant of SW England". p. 1. CiteSeerX 10.1.1.539.163.
  9. "Euphrasia vigursii Davey". NBN Atlas. Retrieved 31 August 2020.
  10. 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. 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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