Euphrasia vigursii facts for kids

Euphrasia vigursii, also known as Vigur's eyebright or Cornish eyebright, is a very special and rare plant. It grows every year, meaning it's an annual. This plant belongs to the eyebright family. You can only find it in Devon and Cornwall, two counties in England.

This eyebright is a hemiparasite. This means it gets some of its food from other plants, but it can also make its own food. It needs open areas to grow, and it likes it when larger bushes and grasses are regularly eaten by animals (this is called grazing). The plant is named after C. C. Vigurs, who was a doctor and a plant expert from Cornwall.

What Does Vigur's Eyebright Look Like?

You can spot E. vigursii by its bright reddish-purple flowers. Its upper leaves have long, sticky hairs. The leaves themselves are a dull grey-green color. They often have hints of violet or black because of special natural colors called anthocyanins. Scientists believe this plant is a stable hybrid. This means it's a mix of two other eyebright plants: Euphrasia micrantha and Euphrasia anglica.

Where Does Vigur's Eyebright Live?

E. vigursii only grows in certain heathland areas in South West England. These special places are found in Cornwall and Devon. The biggest group of these plants in the world is thought to be at Lydford High Down in Dartmoor National Park, Devon.

In 2002, there were about 21,000 of these plants there. However, the number dropped a lot to only 97 plants in 2004. Luckily, the population has grown back and now stays steady, usually between 250 and 350 plants. To compare, other places in Devon where this plant grows have never had more than 10 plants at one time.