Vinca minor
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''Vinca minor'' (
common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...
s lesser periwinkle or dwarf periwinkle) is a
species In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
flowering plant Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
in the dogbane family,
native Native may refer to: People * Jus soli, citizenship by right of birth * Indigenous peoples, peoples with a set of specific rights based on their historical ties to a particular territory ** Native Americans (disambiguation) In arts and entert ...
to central and southern Europe, from Portugal and France north to the Netherlands and the Baltic States, east to the Caucasus, and also southwestern Asia in Turkey. Other vernacular names used in cultivation include small periwinkle, common periwinkle, and sometimes in the United States, myrtle or creeping myrtle.


Description

''Vinca minor'' is a trailing subshrub, spreading along the ground and rooting along the stems to form large
clonal colonies A clonal colony or genet is a group of genetically identical individuals, such as plants, fungi, or bacteria, that have grown in a given location, all originating vegetatively, not sexually, from a single ancestor. In plants, an individual in s ...
and occasionally scrambling up to high but never twining or climbing. The
leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...
are
evergreen In botany, an evergreen is a plant which has foliage that remains green and functional through more than one growing season. This also pertains to plants that retain their foliage only in warm climates, and contrasts with deciduous plants, whic ...
, opposite, long and broad, glossy dark green with a leathery texture and an entire margin. The
flower A flower, sometimes known as a bloom or blossom, is the reproductive structure found in flowering plants (plants of the division Angiospermae). The biological function of a flower is to facilitate reproduction, usually by providing a mechani ...
s are solitary in the leaf axils and are produced mainly from early spring to mid summer but with a few flowers still produced into the autumn; they are violet-purple (pale purple or white in some cultivated selections), diameter, with a five-lobed corolla. The
fruit In botany, a fruit is the seed-bearing structure in flowering plants that is formed from the ovary after flowering. Fruits are the means by which flowering plants (also known as angiosperms) disseminate their seeds. Edible fruits in particu ...
is a pair of follicles long, containing numerous seeds. The closely related species ''
Vinca major ''Vinca major'', with the common names bigleaf periwinkle, large periwinkle, greater periwinkle and blue periwinkle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae, native to the western Mediterranean. Growing to tall and spreading i ...
'' is similar, but larger in all parts, and also has relatively broader leaves with a hairy margin.


Cultivation

The species is commonly grown as a groundcover in temperate gardens for its evergreen foliage, spring and summer flowers, ease of culture, and dense habit that smothers most weeds. It was once commonly planted in cemeteries in parts of the
Southern United States The Southern United States (sometimes Dixie, also referred to as the Southern States, the American South, the Southland, or simply the South) is a geographic and cultural region of the United States of America. It is between the Atlantic Ocean ...
and naturalized periwinkle may indicate the presence of graves whose other markers have disappeared. The species has few pests or diseases outside its native range and is widely
naturalised Naturalization (or naturalisation) is the legal act or process by which a non-citizen of a country may acquire citizenship or nationality of that country. It may be done automatically by a statute, i.e., without any effort on the part of the i ...
and classified as an invasive species in parts of North America. Invasion can be restricted by removal of rooting stems in spring. Once established, it is difficult to eradicate, as its waxy leaves shed most water-based herbicide sprays. However, spraying with
glyphosate Glyphosate (IUPAC name: ''N''-(phosphonomethyl)glycine) is a broad-spectrum Herbicide, systemic herbicide and Crop desiccation, crop desiccant. It is an organophosphorus compound, specifically a phosphonate, which acts by inhibiting the plan ...
easily kills the plant in 2-3 weeks. Removal involves cutting, followed by immediate application of concentrated glyphosate or
triclopyr Triclopyr (3,5,6-trichloro-2-pyridinyloxyacetic acid) is an organic compound in the pyridine group that is used as a systemic foliar herbicide and fungicide. Uses Triclopyr is used to control broadleaf weeds while leaving grasses and conifers ...
to the cut stems. Repeated chemical treatments may be necessary, along with digging up the roots where feasible.


Cultivars

There are numerous
cultivar A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...
s, with different flower colours and
variegated Variegation is the appearance of differently coloured zones in the leaves and sometimes the stems and fruit of plants. Species with variegated individuals are sometimes found in the understory of tropical rainforests, and this habitat is the s ...
foliage. Many have a less vigorous habit than the species, and are therefore more suitable for smaller gardens. The following cultivars have gained the
Royal Horticultural Society The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), founded in 1804 as the Horticultural Society of London, is the UK's leading gardening charity. The RHS promotes horticulture through its five gardens at Wisley (Surrey), Hyde Hall (Essex), Harlow Carr (Nort ...
's
Award of Garden Merit The Award of Garden Merit (AGM) is a long-established annual award for plants by the British Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). It is based on assessment of the plants' performance under UK growing conditions. History The Award of Garden Merit ...
:- *'Argenteovariegata' (leaves have creamy white margins) *'Atropurpurea' (burgundy-purple flowers) *'Azurea Flore Pleno' (double blue flowers) *'Bowles’s Variety’ (violet-blue flowers: also known as ‘Bowles’s Blue’ and ‘La Grave’) *'Ralph Shugert'


Medicinal use: chemical constituents

''Vinca minor'' contains more than 50 alkaloids, including
vincamine Vincamine is a monoterpenoid indole alkaloid found in the leaves of ''Vinca minor'' (lesser periwinkle), comprising about 25-65% of its indole alkaloids by weight. It can also be synthesized from related alkaloids. Uses Vincamine is sold in Eur ...
. Other alkaloids include
reserpine Reserpine is a drug that is used for the treatment of high blood pressure, usually in combination with a thiazide diuretic or vasodilator. Large clinical trials have shown that combined treatment with reserpine plus a thiazide diuretic reduces m ...
,
reserpinine Rescinnamine, known by the brand names moderil, cinnasil, and anaprel, is an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor used as an antihypertensive drug. It is a vinca alkaloid obtained from ''Rauvolfia serpentina'' and other species of ''Rauvol ...
,
akuammicine Akuammicine is a monoterpene indole alkaloid of the Vinca sub-group. It is found in the Apocynaceae family of plants including '' Picralima nitida'', ''Vinca minor'' and the ''Aspidosperma''. History The alkaloids are a large group of natural ...
,
majdine Majdine is a bio-active isolate of ''Vinca minor ''Vinca minor'' (common names lesser periwinkle or dwarf periwinkle) is a species of flowering plant in the dogbane family, native to central and southern Europe, from Portugal and France north ...
, vinerine,
ervine Ervine is a given name and a surname. Notable people with the name include: Given name * Ervine Metzl (1899–1963), American graphic artist and illustrator best known for his posters and postage stamp designs * Ervine Mosby (1877–1916), Englis ...
, vineridine, tombozine, vincamajine, vincanine, vincanidine, vincamone, apovincamine, vincaminol, desoxyvincaminol, vincorine and perivincine.
Vinpocetine Vinpocetine (ethyl apovincaminate) is a synthetic derivative of the vinca alkaloid vincamine, differing by the removal of a hydroxyl group. Vincamine is extracted from either the seeds of '' Voacanga africana'' or the leaves of ''Vinca minor'' ( ...
(brand names: Cavinton, Intelectol; chemical name: ethyl apovincaminate) is a semisynthetic derivative alkaloid of vincamine.


Colour

The colour name periwinkle is derived from the flower.


References


Further reading


Flora Europaea: ''Vinca minor'' distribution
(in Spanish)

(from Ohio State University'


Common periwinkle
(as an invasive species; includes photos) *Blamey, M., & Grey-Wilson, C. (1989). ''Flora of Britain and Northern Europe''. Hodder & Stoughton. *Huxley, A., ed. (1992). ''New RHS Dictionary of Gardening'' 4: 665. Macmillan.
detailed technical descriptionEncyclopedia of Life database entry


External links



* * * {{Taxonbar, from=Q161777 minor Medicinal plants of Europe Groundcovers Garden plants of Europe Plants described in 1753 Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus Subshrubs