Vinca
From The Plant Encyclopedia
Periwinkle
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| Vinca minor | |
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Vinca | |
| Category | Perennial, Groundcover |
|---|---|
| Kingdom | Plantae |
| Division | Magnoliophyta |
| Class | Angiospermae |
| Order | Gentianales |
| Family | Apocynaceae |
| Species in this genus | |
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| Please enter the plant name in this format: 'Latin name - Common Name' | |
Aden Earth Zone
4 - 17
Cultivation
- Cultivation: Invastive, Naturalizing, Low-Maintenance
- Light: Sun, Dappled, Part-Shade
- Soil: Mid-Fertility, Poor, Loam, Clay
- pH: 7
- Moisture: Medium, Well-Drained
Characteristics
- Form: Vine, Herbaceous
- Habit: Perennial
- Flower: Medium, Purple
- Fruit/Seed: Small
- Foliage: Leaves, Green
- Uses: Ornamental
About
Vinca is a genus of six species in the family Apocynaceae, native to Europe, northwest Africa and southwest Asia. The name is , deriving from Latin vincire: "to bind, fetter". The English name periwinkle is shared with the related genus Catharanthus (and also with the common seashore Mollusc, Littorina littorea).
Description
The Flowers, produced through most of the year, are salverform (like those of Phlox), simple, 2.5–7 cm (1–3 inches) broad, with five usually violet (occasionally white) petals joined together at the base to form a tube. The Fruit consists of a pair of divergent follicles; a dry fruit which is Dehiscent along one rupture site in order to release seeds.<ref name="Blamey" /><ref name="Huxley" />
Gardens
Two of the species, Vinca major and Vinca minor, are extensively cultivated as an flowering evergreen Ornamental plant. Because the plants are low and spread quickly, they are often used as a Groundcover in Garden landscapes and Container gardens. Many Cultivars are available, with different plant, leaf, and flower - colors, sizes, and habits.
Invasive plant species
Although attractive, both Vinca major and Vinca minor are sometimes considered weeds, and Invasive species, in some regions where they are Introduced species because of the rapid spreading resulting in choking out Native plant species and altering Habitats. Areas affected include parts of Australia, New Zealand, and the United States, especially coastal California.. In other cases, Vinca has been recommended as a fire retardant ground cover.<ref>Fire-Resistant Plants for Montana Landscapes</ref>
Medicinal Use
There are at least 86 Alkaloids extracted from plants in the Vinca genus. Vincristine, extracted from Vinca rosea Linn. (Catharanthus), is a type of Chemotherapy called a vinca alkaloid used to treat some Leukemias, Lymphomas and childhood cancers, as well as several other types of cancer and some non-cancerous conditions. Vinblastine is a chemical analogue of Vincristine and also used to treat various forms of Cancer.
References
Vinca major-minor leaves.jpg
Vinca minor (above), Vinca major (below); leaves for comparison |
Vinca major-minor margins.jpg
Vinca minor (above), Vinca major (below); leaf margins for comparison; note hairless margin of V. minor, hairy margin of V. major |
