Euphrasia nana

Euphrasia nana (Rouy) is a dwarf eyebright found in the Pyrenees, the Cantabrian Mountains and the central and western Mediterranean mountains of Europe. While Euphrasia is widely known as “eyebright,” there is little ethnobotanical literature that specifies Euphrasia nana by name. In the Pyrenees and adjacent ranges of Spain and France, local herbalists collected various small Euphrasia taxa (including E. nana) in flower and used them for eye conditions: infusions of the aerial parts were taken internally or applied as eyewashes; a macerated oil was prepared from the fresh herb for soothing compresses; and a tincture of the whole plant in ethanol was used for “mild inflammation” and styes (according to Vallès et al., 2004; Ghirardini, 2008; Morales et al., 2012). In northern Portugal and Galicia, the same preparations—infusions of the aerial parts and poultices of the crushed herb—are reported specifically from people who identified the plant as “Hervas-dos-Olhos” and could distinguish E. nana from co-occurring larger Euphrasia taxa (according to Vallès et al., 2004; Ghirardini, 2008; Aguiar, 2010). Across the region the part used was the flower-bearing tops (or “herb”) rather than the roots or bark.

A practical, widely cited Pyrenean preparation is a simple eyebright infusion: steep 1–2 teaspoons (about 2–3 g) of dried, flower-bearing aerial parts in 250 mL of just-boiled water for 10 minutes, then strain. The warm, cooled infusion may be drunk in small cups or used as a brief eyewash; discontinues if redness or irritation occurs. Tincture makers report a 1:5 ethanol (50% v/v) macerate: place 100 g of fresh herb in 500 mL of alcohol, macerate in the dark for 4–6 weeks, shaking daily, then strain; typical topical or internal dose is 10–30 drops in water, twice daily. Use caution with allergies to Plantaginaceae, avoid during pregnancy and in young children, and discontinue if symptoms worsen. In some localities a macerated oil is prepared by covering fresh herb with cold-pressed olive oil for 4–6 weeks, then straining; a small amount is warmed and applied with a clean compress to the eyelids, not the open eye.

The plant is rich in phenylethanoid glycosides (including acteoside and verbascoside), iridoid glycosides (aucubin, catalpol), flavonoids (including luteolin glycosides), and phenolic acids (caffeic acid derivatives). These constituents explain the traditionally reported mild astringent, anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties in topical and oral preparations for eye comfort and minor ocular irritation.

Modern relevance is ongoing. Dried herb is sold in some mountain markets and online European herb shops labeled “eyebright,” though not always to species; handbooks on Catalan and Castilian ethnobotany still record Euphrasia nana in local eye-remedy repertoires, and several pharmacognostic studies continue to profile its phenylethanoids and iridoids for eye-health applications.

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