Euphrasia, or eyebright, is a genus of about 450 species of herbaceous flowering plants in the family Orobanchaceae (formerly included in the Scrophulariaceae), with a cosmopolitan distribution. They are semi-parasitic on grasses and other plants.
The common name refers to the plant's use in treating eye infections.
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.