Vinca L.

From the Greek vinco — to conquer, alluding to the competitive nature of the plant.

Perennial or annual herbs, evergreen; latex white. Stems herbaceous to wiry, without spines, stoloniferous. Leaves opposite, stalked; blade well developed; colleters absent at base. Inflorescence axillary, 1-flowered. Flowers scentless, stalked. Corolla salver-shaped; tube cylindrical, widening towards the top; lobes convolute in bud, overlapping to the left. Corolline corona pouch-like in the petal sinuses. Stamens enclosed, attached about halfway up the tube, not sticking to style head. Disk of 2 small scales. Fruit of 2 dehiscent membranous follicles; seeds 4-8, not winged, without hair tufts.

Two species in cultivation, 1 occasionally naturalised. Frost-tolerant and grown for the flowers, mostly as effective groundcovers.

Cuttings or seeds.

Stoloniferous herbs with opposite leaves, blue flowers.

6 species in the Mediterranean and N Africa.

Lawrence (1959), Forster (1996a).

Source: Forster, P. (2002). Apocynaceae. In: Spencer, R.. Horticultural Flora of South-eastern Australia. Volume 4. Flowering plants. Dicotyledons. Part 3. The identification of garden and cultivated plants. University of New South Wales Press.

Hero image
kingdom Plantae
phylum   Tracheophyta
class    Magnoliopsida
superorder     Asteranae
order      Gentianales
family       Apocynaceae
Higher taxa
Subordinate taxa
species         Vinca major L.
species         Vinca minor L.