The descriptive text, below the map, is from the Cornish Red Data Book (2009). The map on this web page depicts the organisms distribution and shows the records made pre-2000 and those made since.
Range & Status
This species may be endemic to the British Isles.
Regional Distribution
Recently this species has only been recorded from the granite areas of Bodmin Moor (SX17) and the Kit Hill area (SX37), and at Greena Moor (SX29) on Culm Measures grassland. Euphrasia plants are notoriously difficult to identify, so it may have been overlooked or recorded as Euphrasia aggregate in some sites.
Habitat & Ecology
Found in short grassland, especially where well-grazed, on moorland banks, or on open areas in heathland.
Threats
It has not been recorded from many of the sites in west, central or northernmost parts of Cornwall since before the 1970s, so there may well be a genuine decline of suitable habitat. Destruction of remaining suitable habitat or lack of grazing continues to be a major threat. The spraying of Bracken Pteridium aquilinum on Bodmin Moor has occurred in a known site. This would not be a good management practice for the habitat in which this species occurs.
Conservation
The areas on Bodmin Moor are at present still subject to extensive grazing, which should be encouraged. Most sites are within SSSI or on nature reserves.
I.J. Bennallick, S. Board, C.N. French, P.A. Gainey, C. Neil, R. Parslow, A. Spalding and P.E. Tompsett. eds. 2009. Red Data Book for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. 2nd Edition.Croceago Press.
The Cornish Red Data Book Project was led by the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Federation for Biological Recorders (CISFBR). The full text and species accounts (minus the maps) are available on the CISFBR website.