Family: Orobanchaceae
Euphrasia collina
Citation:
R. Br., Prod. Fl. Nov. Holl. 436 (1810).
Synonymy: E. speciosa R. Br., Prod. Fl. Nov. Holl. 437 (1810); E. brownii F. Muell., Fragm. Phyt. Aust. 5:88 (1865), nom. illegit.
Common name: Purple eyebright.
Description:
Perennial herb or undershrub to 80 cm tall, with main inflorescence-bearing branches erect or ascending, themselves branched above ground-level at scattered nodes in no fixed order or (outside S. Aust.) decumbent and simple above ground-level; leaves, bracts and calyces with or without glandular or eglandular hairs; upper leaves and lowest bracts on main branches 4.5-23 mm long, pinnatifid to serrate-crenate.
Calyx 3.5-10 mm long; corolla 8.5-17.5 mm long along the upper side, white to pink, purple or lavender, sometimes with a yellow blotch behind the lowest lobe, the upper lobes in the same plane, facing forward; anther cells eglandular-hairy along the slits and about the connective.
Capsules 5.2-12 mm long, glabrous or setose at the apex with the hairs extending to a varying extent towards the base.
Distribution:
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A polymorphic species with 14 geographically or ecologically defined subspecies; 6 are recorded for S. Aust., although 2 of these are probably now extinct.
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Conservation status:
native
Flowering time: No flowering time is available |
SA Distribution Map based
on current data relating to
specimens held in the
State Herbarium of South Australia
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Biology:
No text
Key to Infraspecific taxa:
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1. External surface of calyx glabrous |
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2. Lower corolla lobes externally glabrous, usually emarginate; upper leaves on main branches with 0-4 usually 1 or 2 pairs of teeth |
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subsp. tetragona 1e. |
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2. Lower corolla lobes externally pilose, at least at the base (best seen in mature buds) |
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3. Upper leaves on main branches 1.5-4.4 mm broad, with 0-2, usually 1, pairs of teeth; rear pair of anther awns 0.2-0.6 usually 0.3-0.5 mm long |
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subsp. collina 1a. |
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3. Upper leaves on main branches 3.4-8 rarely 2.4 mm broad, with 1-3 or more pairs of teeth; rear pair of anther awns 0.15-0.4 usually 0.2-0.3 mm long |
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subsp. paludosa 1d. |
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1. External surface of calyx pubescent |
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4. Bracts and external surface of calyx covered by short eglandular hairs |
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subsp. muelleri 1b. |
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4. Bracts and external surface of calyx covered by short to long glandular hairs, sometimes mixed with eglandular hairs |
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5. Upper leaves on main branches with 1-8 usually 3-6 pairs of teeth; capsules setose in the distal half to one-third, rarely less |
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subsp. osbornii 1c. |
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5. Upper leaves on main branches with 0-2 usually 1 pairs of teeth; capsules glabrous or setose only at the apex |
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subsp. trichocalycina 1f. |
Author:
Not yet available
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