Vinca

Vinca is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, native to Europe, northwest Africa and southwest Asia. The English name periwinkle is shared with the related genus Catharanthus (and also with the common seashore mollusc, Littorina littorea).

Description[edit | edit source]

Vinca plants are subshrubs or herbaceous, and have slender trailing stems 1–2 m (3.3–6.6 ft) long but not growing more than 20–70 cm (8–30 in) above ground; the stems frequently take root where they touch the ground, enabling the plant to spread widely. They have opposite leaves, each 1–9 cm long and 0.5–6 cm broad. They produce solitary blue, violet, purple, or white flowers in the leaf axils. Each flower is 2–3 cm diameter, with a five-lobed corolla.

Species[edit | edit source]

The species include:

Vinca difformis Pourr. – Intermediate Periwinkle
Vinca erecta Regel & Schmalh. – Erect Periwinkle
Vinca herbacea Waldst. & Kit. – Herbaceous Periwinkle
Vinca major L. – Greater Periwinkle
Vinca minor L. – Lesser Periwinkle
Vinca soneri Koyuncu

Cultivation and uses[edit | edit source]

Vinca species are used as groundcover in garden landscapes and container gardens. They are also used in folk medicine, particularly in southeastern Europe, to treat diabetes, coughs, and constipation.

References[edit | edit source]

External links[edit | edit source]

Vinca Resources
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