Post by Zeda on Apr 9, 2018 8:05:41 GMT -6
Eyebright
Euphrasia officinalis
Eyebright is an annual herb that is common to dry fields and pasture lands in its native Britain and also in the U.S. where it has become naturalized. It is about 2-8 inches high and bears spikes of small labiate flowers in white or purple veined with darker purple from July to September. In richer soil, it is a larger, more shrubby plant. In poor soil it is small and unbranched. When there are branches on the plant they are opposite. The leaves can be round or oval shaped depending on conditions and are deeply toothed. Seeds appear in flat capsules in the autumn.
History and Folklore
The name Euphrasia is taken from the name of one of the three Greek Charities, Euphrosyne, meaning gladness. According to legend, the linnet, a bird whose Greek name comes from the same root, first used this plant to clear the sight of its young and then passed the knowledge on to mankind.
Spenser, Milton and other poets mention Eyebright in their poems.
In the time of Queen Elizabeth I, Eyebright Ale was a beverage believed to cheer the spirit.
Propagation
Eyebright prefers alkaline soil and does not do well in perfect well-tended beds. It prefers to grow weed-like in the shadow of other plants. It doesn't transplant well, so scatter the seeds randomly among your other plants in your herb garden. It is notoriously difficult to grow in the garden and prefers to the wild grasslands. You could try growing it in your lawn if you have a section you won't be mowing.
Eyebright is best harvested in late summer when it is in full bloom. Cut the full herb and hang upside down to dry. Use within one year. The leaves and flowers are all used together.
Magical Attributes
This herb is often used in potions that help people see things, and can be used in some amounts in potions to give people visions. Many great practitioners of Divination use this and it can be attributed to at least a third of the prophecies in the Department of Mysteries.
When it is planted near other plants it generally makes them grow stronger and faster. And its roots are used in the drought of living death.
HOMEWORK
Go into the greenhouse and harvest some Eyebright. (provide a short roleplay narrative about doing this)