Eyebright

11 Thursday Aug 2016

Posted by theresagreen in British wildflowers, flowering in August, flowering in July, folklore of plants, plants of calcareous grassland, semi-parasitic wildflowers, traditional medicinal plants, traditional uses of plants, white flowered plants, wildflowers of grassland, wildflowers of Wales, wildflowers on clifftops

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Common eyebright, Effros, Euphrasia micrantha, Euphrasia nemorosa, Eyebright, orobanchaceae, scrophulariaceae

Common Eyebright Euphrasia nemorosa (formerly E.officinalis): other English names: Euphrasy: in Welsh it is Effros

One of the prettiest wildflowers of late summer, brightening the British countryside from our lowland moors to mountain peaks. Adaptable little plants, Eyebright species are generally semi-parasitic, feeding off the nutrients from the roots of nearby grasses in undisturbed habitats.

Common Eyebright-Euphrasia nemorosa-Little Orme

Flowering: (June) July to September

Height: Low to Short; 5-25cm (2-8″)

Native to Great Britain, Eyebright is a member of the Orobanchaceae family (formerly included in the Scrophulariaceae family).

Status: Widespread throughout and locally common, but declining.

Habitat & Ecology: Found in a wide variety of undisturbed grassy places on downs, pastures, heaths, cliffs and woods. Semi-parasitic they grow successfully only where their roots can attach themselves to other plants such as grasses, clovers and plantains. For this reason, they are quite useful plants in terms of keeping vigorous grasses at bay in order that wildflowers can thrive.

DESCRIPTION

Eyebrights are extremely variable in appearance with 20 or more species that have a tendency to hybridise with each other, resulting in about 60 micro-species, so many would need an expert to make more than an intelligent guess at identification. My description refers mainly to the most frequently-occurring Common Eyebright – Euphrasia nemerosa. I have included images of variations that I have found locally, but would not like to even hazard a guess as to whether or not they may be recognised sub-species.

Eyebright, reddish stems, lilac flowers

Eyebright, lilac flowers

The small flowers are 5-10mm long, in leafy spikes; the corolla is two-lipped; lower lip is three-lobed; whitish in colour, but sometimes wholly or partly lilac; they have a yellow throat and purple veins, (nectar guides for insects), radiate from the centre towards the edges of the upper and lower petals: fruits are capsules: the stem is strong and branched, branches coming off in opposite pairs leaves are more or less oval, sharply toothed, pale, dark , bronzy or purplish-green and borne in opposite pairs.

140805TGNW-8- Eyebright with purple leaves-Bryn Euryn

Most of the plants growing on Bryn Euryn are strongly tinged reddish-purple

RELATIONSHIP WITH INSECTS

Pollination: The lower lip of the flower acts as a landing stage for visiting insects which are then guided to the nectar source by the purple lines marked on its surface. The upper lip protects the stamens and the style, the latter projecting forwards so it touches visiting insects first and receives pollen from another flower, thus ensuring cross-pollination. As the insect probes deeply for nectar, pollen is showered onto its back from the stamens which are above it.

ETYMOLOGY ( THE PLANT NAME )

160805-Bryn Euryn- Eyebright-with purple on petals

There are sometimes a few plants occurring on the downland slope of Bryn Euryn that are overall more bronze-green with flowers that are lilac with large purple blotches

The generic name Euphrasia is derived from the Greek word euphraino, translated as ‘to gladden’, possibly a reference to the plant’s reputed medicinal powers ‘to gladden the eye’. The common name Eyebright may have come about for similar reasons or maybe just because the flowers do indeed have a bright eye.

FOLKLORE, LEGEND & LITERATURE

The 17th century botanist, William Cole recorded in his book titled Adam in Eden, that eyebright was the herb used by the Linnet to clear its eyesight. In the 18th century, the belief was held that certain plants, based on their appearance or characteristics could cure human ailments. So maybe it is not surprising that this plant, with its ‘bright-eyed’ appearance was thought to improve poor eyesight. In ‘Paradise Lost’, the poet Milton wrote:

Michael from Adam’s eyes the filme remov’d

Which that false Fruit that promis’d clearer sight

Had bred; then purg’d with Euphrasie and Rue

The visual Nerve, for he had much to see.

MODERN HERBAL OR MEDICINAL USES

An extract made from eyebright and the herb Golden seal is still used today as a lotion to relieve eye irritations and eye strain.

August on the Bryn

10 Wednesday Aug 2016

Posted by theresagreen in British wildflowers, Bryn Euryn Local Nature Reserve, flora of a limestone hill, flowering in August, North Wales, plants of calcareous grassland, purple-flowered plants, semi-parasitic wildflowers, wildflowers of Wales, wildflowers on limestone, yellow-flowered plants

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centaurea nigra, Common eyebright, common knapweed, Euphrasia nemorosa, hazelnut, hemp agrimony, insects on hemp agrimony, insects on knapweed, insects on ragwort, odontites vernus, ragwort, red bartsia, senecio jacobea

August 5th

In the woods foliage is verdant and heavy, reaching out to the light across the tracks and rides. But the signs of a summer past its peak are beginning to show as plants divert their energies into their most important task; that of fruit production.

The Hazels bear a few fully-formed nuts, but here at least only a few will achieve maturity. Grey squirrels grab all they can reach, careless of whether they are ripe or not, leaving the debris of their wanton pickings strewn on the ground beneath the trees.

Unripened Hazelnuts

Hazelnuts picked and discarded by grey squirrels

In the meadow the grasses have set seed, their long stems golden and hay-dry. The mid-summer flush of wildflowers has more or less subsided with only scattered blooms of dainty harebell, lady’s bedstraw and white clover tucked down in the long grass.

In their stead the tougher, bolder-coloured blooms characteristic of late summer are peaking and will provide the nectar and pollen vital to the sustenance of the insect population.

The swathe of Hemp Agrimony bordering between the meadow’s edge and the trees, was literally buzzing with insects on this sunny but windy day. Many of the visitors were male bumblebees. With no hive duties to perform they have only themselves to care for and can afford to spend what remains of their lives lingering long and gorging on nectar. The plant is a favourite of the bigger butterflies too – you may see Red Admiral or a gorgeous Peacock feasting here – provided there are any about of course.

Helophilus sp. hoverfly

Bombus terrestris bumblebee

Gatekeeper

Ragwort is not as abundant here as in other places locally, but what there is was well-visited by a variety of insects from tiny hoverflies to butterflies.

One particular flowerhead was occupied by a damaged 6-spot Burnet moth that was still in situ a couple of hours later as I passed by on my way home. It will be safe there- the moths are poisonous, so left alone by potential predators.

Tiny hoverfly

Bombus pratorum

6-spot Burnet moth

One of the more unusual wildflowers found in this little hillside meadow is the Wild Onion, or Nodding Wild Onion as it is sometimes referred to. In previous years I have found it was particularly attractive to the little Common Blue butterflies, but alas there were no blue butterflies to be found today and the flowers are already producing fruits – a rounded cluster of tiny bulbils.

(Nodding) Wild Onion- Allium vineale

Fruiting heads of Wild Onion

There are two semi-parasitic wildflowers to be found here now. One is the lovely little Eyebright which has been in flower for a while now but that will continue into September; the other in lesser amounts, is Red Bartsia. Both plants take their nourishment from the roots of grasses. Much of the Eyebright here on Bryn Euryn shows up from where it grows low in the grass as all parts of the plant other than the flowers are tinged a strong bronzy-purple.

Red Bartsia – Odontites vernus

Higher up towards the summit of the hill and again on the downland slope Knapweed is more prolific. It too is beloved by insects, but on a windy day such as today when the flowers are vigorously bending and swaying, they make for a tricky landing and even trickier photographs.

Helophilus sp. hoverfly

6 spot Burnet moth

Hogweed is still flowering strongly and feeding insects whilst simultaneously setting seed.

And there are ripe blackberries and sweet wild raspberries to add little treats to the walk home.

Blackberries

Raspberry-Rubus idaeus

The ‘Bryn’ referred to in the post title is Bryn Euryn, a limestone hill of which much is a Local Nature Reserve, located in Rhos-on-Sea (Llandrillo-yn-Rhos), in Conwy, North Wales. Grid Reference: SH 832798

The Bryn is the basis of many posts on my longer-established blog ‘Everyday Nature Trails’.

Lady’s Bedstraw-Galium verum

19 Tuesday Jul 2016

Posted by theresagreen in flowering in July, folklore of plants, plants of calcareous grassland, traditional medicinal plants, traditional uses of plants, wildflowers of Wales, wildflowers on limestone, yellow-flowered plants

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brwydd felen, galium verum, lady's bedstraw

Lady’s Bedstraw-Galium verum, also known in English as Our Lady’s Bedstraw; Yellow Bedstraw; Maid’s Hair; Petty Mugget;cheese rennet; cheese renning. In Welsh it is Briwydd felen.

In the summer months frothy sunshine-yellow Lady’s Bedstraw brightens the grass and on a warm sunny day scents the air with the delicate fragrance of fresh-cut hay.

Flowering: June to September

Habitat: Lady’s Bedstraw most often occurs in dry habitats, often near to the sea. It grows in dry grassland, on dry banks, on downs and old established sand-dunes. However, it has also been seen beside wet flushes on coastal cliffs.

A native plant to Great Britain, Lady’s Bedstraw is a member of the Rubiaceae family. A near relative of goose grass, or cleavers, but has no prickles. This slightly downy and sprawling perennial plant, bears tiny bright yellow 4-petalled flowers (2-3mm ), borne in clusters. The stem is branched, square, long, thin and weak. Leaves are exceptionally small and borne in whorls of 6-8.

Lady’s Bedstraw on sand in Norfolk-East Runton cliff

IMPORTANCE TO INSECTS

Lady’s bedstraw is a food source for the huge Elephant hawk-moth caterpillar, then is favoured by the adult moths as a rich source of nectar. The migrant Humming-bird Hawk Moth is attracted to it too.

FOLKLORE & LEGEND

One version of a Medieval legend has it that the Virgin Mary lay on a bed of Lady’s Bedstraw in the stable of the inn in Bethlehem; a variation is that she used it to line the manger in which she laid the baby Jesus. Either way is likely that the common name for the plant was taken from this legend. It also led to the belief that a woman lying on matress filled with Lady’s Bedstraw would have a safe and easy childbirth.

Lady’s Bedstraw growing on calcereous grassland-Bryn Euryn, North Wales

TRADITIONAL USES

Lady’s Bedstraw was once one of the most useful of the meadow herbs; domestically it was used as a ‘strewing herb’, a natural form of air-freshening. The dried flower tops were used to stuff matresses, in part because the scent of the chemical coumarin produced by the plant acts as a deterrent to fleas.

In the north of England the yellow flowers were once used to curdle milk, giving rise to several associated names such as cheese rennet and cheese renning. The name of this genus, Galium, from the Greek word gala, milk, is supposed to have been given from this property of the plants. In Gloucestershire, it was used to colour Double Gloucester cheese. The leaves and stems yield a yellow dye and the roots a red dye, although as the plant parts are so small, large quantities are needed for that purpose; it was said that when cattle feed on it, it reddens their bones.

MEDICINAL USES

Lady’s Bedstraw contains the chemical coumarin, used in the drug dicouramol, which will prevent the blood clotting. In herbal medicine it was claimed the herb was a remedy for for urinary diseases, epilepsy and gout.

A flowery meadow on a limestone hillside

29 Friday May 2015

Posted by theresagreen in flowering in May, orchids, plants of calcareous grassland, purple-flowered plants, wildflowers of Wales, wildflowers on limestone, yellow-flowered plants

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bird's foot trefoil, Bryn Euryn, burnet rose, common rockrose, common vetch, cowslip, early purple orchid, flowering in June, flowering in May, hoary rockrose, hop trefoil, kidney vetch, salad burnet, wild thyme, yellow flowers

The meadow, known by older locals as the Adders’ Field is located on a limestone hillside in North Wales. It is not much of a field really, maybe more of a clearing in the woodland and I have yet to spot an Adder there, but despite the through-traffic of folks and dogs it is home to an array of lovely wildflowers.

At the entrance to the Adders’ Field (click on image to enlarge)

Although the area is relatively small, it has dry open grassland as you can see, a small rocky outcrop that is the other side of the rise, top right of the image, that dips down to a damper area sheltered by trees. On the left is a woodland edge with gorse and hawthorn shrubbery and at the top end a lovely mix of trees including oak, ash and silver birch. May is the perfect month in which to see many of the wildflowers at their best and now as June approaches those at their peak a couple of weeks ago are fading and beginning to set seed, but there are others waiting to take the limelight.

15th May-Cowslips and Early Purple Orchids

This year the Cowslips and Early Purple Orchids have produced prolific and beautiful displays.

A quietly stunning display of Cowslips on field edge

Cowslips with Salad Burnet

A deeply shaded Early Purple Orchid

A lighter shaded Early Purple Orchid

The rocky outcrop I mentioned earlier is a miniature natural rockery. It is well sheltered and gets plenty of sun and is now supporting a surprising number of plant species, most of them with yellow flowers.

A natural rockery

There are a couple of clumps of Hoary Rockrose, a nationally rare plant that thrives on this hillside.

Hoary Rockrose

Common rockrose, which is prolific across most of the upper areas of the hill;

Common Rockrose

there is Bird’s Food Trefoil cascading over the rocks which shows off how pretty this plant is. It’ s more often at ground level where it’s harder to appreciate.

Bird’s Foot Trefoil

There is a small patch too of Kidney Vetch; this is one of the few spots I am aware of it growing locally.

Kidney Vetch

Then there is a little bit of the tiny- flowered Hop Trefoil

Hop Trefoil

and for a tiny touch of contrast, a sprinkle of Wild Thyme.

Wild Thyme

This combination of plant species, except the Kidney Vetch, occurs on other parts of the upper hillside, but it is nice to see them here in this ‘mini-habitat’. The grassy area around the outcrop is also studded with golden yellow, here in the form of buttercups. In the original image you can just see the white flowers of a Burnet Rose peeking in to the frame. They are flowering now, although I fancy not as prolifically as last year and many of the flowers seem smaller.