Another delightful flower seen for the first time in our fields this week is Eyebright. It is in a different field to the Red Bartsia I came across a couple of weeks ago. Eyebrights are difficult to differentiate, not only are there 20 microspecies but they hybridise. Our example looks to be Euphrasia nemorosa but I shall get an expert opinion when I can.
Update - 20 September
First of all I had a more structured effort at an ID and I decided that actually it was more likely to be E. rostkoviana (which has now been renamed E. officinalis). However today I got some more expert help and using a recently devised key we came to the conclusion that it is either E. confusa or E. nemorosa. One critical element of how erect it is points towards confusa but this flower is rarely found here in this neck of the woods, if at all, so maybe it is nemorosa. I shall take some measurements but unless something definite is found then a formal ID will have to wait until next year when some samples can be sent off.
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