North Island Eyebright

Euphrasia cuneata

Chris Horne, Barbara Mitcalfe and Geoff Walls listed this Euphrasia during their survey of 2012. I’m not sure where they found it, but I first saw a single plant as recently as 4 years ago on a new track we put in. Since then it has self-seeded about 20 metres along the track and is strictly “don’t trim”.

This sub-shrub is found throughout the North Island, into the Marlborough Sounds and pops up at Lake Ellesmere. It’s a root parasite but does photosynthesise for itself also. Euphrasias are very difficult to grow but this one is said to be the easiest of them.

The track is lit up with their beautiful flowers in autumn. You might well find some for yourself around now (April) if you live in range. Open country where it won’t be out-competed, sea level to alpine, and track sides or road cuttings are good places to look.

(Part of an ongoing effort to photograph all the vascular plants on the island. Each species will get a page when I get enough reasonable photos.)