Eyebright

the herb of eyebright (Euphrasiae herba)

Eyebright (Euphrasia officinalis) is a small semi-parasitic annual which draws nourishment through its roots from the grasses around it. The flowers are white with violet stripes and a yellow spot in the throat, in which people of the old doctrine of signatures saw an eye. It grows in dry meadows and pastures, among the grasses.

The flowering herb is gathered in July and August, in dry weather; it is cut above the ground. It is dried in the shade, in a thin layer; the plant is small and dries quickly.

The genus Euphrasia takes in several species which are hard to tell apart and are treated together as an aggregate. Being a semi-parasite, eyebright is tied to meadows and cannot be grown like an ordinary garden plant.

Use and evidence

The traditional use on the eyes is not supported by evidence of sufficient quality, and the EMA has not established a positive monograph for safe self-treatment of the eyes. EMA.