Euphrasia drucei
Common names
eyebright
Biostatus
Native – Endemic taxon
Category
Vascular
Structural class
Herbs - Dicotyledons other than Composites
Flower colours
White
Detailed description
Perennial herb sometimes arising from woody stock; stems generally woody at base, often prostrate and rooting in lower parts, branches erect, 30-100 mm tall, generally evenly pubescent. Leaves sessile, usually close-set, spreading, 3-10 x 3-6 mm, obovate to obovate-cuneate to suborbicular, usually broadest some distance below tip, subequally 3-lobed at tip or rather evenly 3-5-crenate or -toothed, margins thickened and sometimes glossy. Flowers few at tips of branches, pedicels short, hidden. Calyx 6-9 mm. long, glabrous or nearly so, unevenly divided 1/4-1/2 way; lobes obtuse to subacute, margins and midribs thickened. Corolla white, up to 20 mm long and diameter; tube longer than calyx; lower lip little longer than upper, lobes 5-8 mm broad, emarginate. Anthers red-brown, margins hairy, awns usually unequal. Capsule less than or equal to calyx, 5-6 x 3-4 mm, oval to oblong, glabrous; seeds many, 1.5-2 mm long.
Similar taxa
Related to Euphrasia monroi and Euphrasia laingii but differing from both in the shape of the leaves; in the crowded leaves and short congested inflorescence, it resembles more E. monroi but is a very much smaller plant. It has sometimes been confused with small subalpine forms of E. cuneata with which it grows but can be most easily distinguished by the shape of the corolla, the shorter glabrous capsule and lack of small leafy axillary branchlets. Similar small plants have been collected in North-west Nelson, but these are still of uncertain position.
Distribution
Endemic. North Island, Tararua Range.
Habitat
Abundant in boggy or open places in subalpine tussock or herbfield.
Current conservation status
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2023 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, OL, Sp
Detailed taxonomy
Family
Synonyms
Previously known as Euphrasia revoluta Hook. f.
Endemic taxon
Yes
Endemic genus
No
Endemic family
No
Ecology
Flowering
(November-) December – January (-February).
Fruiting
January – February (-March).
Life cycle and dispersal
Seeds is dispersed by wind and possibly water and ballistic projection (Thorsen et al., 2009).
Other information
New Zealand botanical history note
For a brief biography of AP (Tony) Druce, for whom this plant is named, see this article in Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand. Hundreds of Tony’s famed plant lists can be found here and back-issues of regional Botanical Society Journals which he contributed can be accessed here.
Etymology
euphrasia: Eye-medicine
drucei: Named after Anthony (Tony) Peter Druce, one of New Zealand’s most respected field botanist (1920-1999).
Previous conservation statuses
The conservation status of all known New Zealand vascular plant taxa at the rank of species and below were reassessed in 2022-2023 using the New Zealand Threat Classification System (NZTCS) – more information about this can be found on the NZTCS website. This report includes replaces all previous NZTCS lists for vascular plants. Previous assessments can be found here.
- Conservation status of vascular plants in Aotearoa New Zealand, 2023. 2024. Peter J. de Lange, Jane Gosden, Shannel P. Courtney, Alexander J. Fergus, John W. Barkla, Sarah M. Beadel, Paul D. Champion, Rowan Hindmarsh-Walls, Troy Makan and Pascale Michel Department of Conservation. Source: NZTCS and licensed by DOC for reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.
2017 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: DP, OL, Sp
2012 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon | Qualifiers: OL, Sp
2009 | At Risk – Naturally Uncommon
2004 | Range Restricted
Referencing and citations
References and further reading
Allan, H. H. 1961. Flora of New Zealand. Volume 1. Wellington: Government Printer. Page 853.
Thorsen, M. J.; Dickinson, K. J. M.; Seddon, P. J. 2009. Seed dispersal systems in the New Zealand flora. Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics 11: 285-309
Attribution
Fact sheet prepared for NZPCN by M.D. Ward (3 November 2020). Description adapted from Allan (1961).
Some of this factsheet information is derived from Flora of New Zealand Online and is used under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 New Zealand licence.
NZPCN Fact Sheet citation
Please cite as: Ward, M.D. (Year at time of access): Euphrasia drucei Fact Sheet (content continuously updated). New Zealand Plant Conservation Network. https://www.nzpcn.org.nz/flora/species/euphrasia-drucei/ (Date website was queried)