Range & Status

Endemic to Cornwall and Devon.

Regional Distribution

Vigur' s Eyebright has been recorded in 75 1km squares in Cornwall in total, but only 21 since 1999. It is maintaining good populations in the maritime heaths along the north coast (SW64 and SW75), but on many inland heaths it has disappeared, especially north and east of Bodmin Moor.

Habitat & Ecology

On the coast it grows in open areas and along tracks within dry dwarf shrub heath. Inland it grows in wet heath, dry heath and grass heath. Saw-wort Serratula tinctoria is a frequent associate (pers. comm., A. Silverside).

Threats

Inland there is loss by habitat destruction, by scrub overgrowth and by overgrazing, but along the coast the threats are fewer. Hybridisation with E. tetraquetra appears to be a threat at St. Agnes Head (SW75), where a recent survey failed to re-find E. vigursii but found the hybrid in abundance.

Conservation

Most of the sites are protected.