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bigleaf periwinkle, greater periwinkle, large periwinkle, vinca

Stems

ascending and trailing.

Leaves

petiole 5–15 mm, glabrous or pubescent, with 2 small glandular appendages in distal half;

blade ovate to broadly ovate or lanceolate, 2.5–9 × 2–6 cm (distals), membranous, base cordate or truncate, margins ciliate, apex obtuse to acute, adaxial surface usually pubescent.

Peduncles

1.5–4 cm, glabrous.

Flowers

calyx lobes linear, 7–15 mm, ciliate;

corolla blue-purple, rarely violet or white, glabrous abaxially, eglandular-pubescent adaxially, tube 4–5 × 3–4 mm, throat 8–12 × 4–9 mm, lobes spreading, obliquely dolabriform, 15–20 × (3–)10–20 mm.

Seeds

7–10 × 2–2.6 mm.

Follicles

25–50 × 2–3 mm.

2n

= 92.

Vinca major

Phenology Flowering spring (or year-round in the southern United States); fruiting summer.
Habitat Open woodlands, stream and woodland margins, old home sites, other shaded disturbed areas.
Elevation 0–1900 m. (0–6200 ft.)
Distribution
from FNA
AL; AR; AZ; CA; CT; DE; FL; GA; ID; IL; IN; KY; LA; MA; MD; MI; MO; MS; NC; NJ; NM; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; SC; TN; TX; UT; VA; WA; WI; BC; s Europe [Introduced in North America]
[WildflowerSearch map]
[BONAP county map]
Discussion

Vinca major has been widely introduced as an ornamental and commonly spreads from cultivation.

(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)

Source FNA vol. 14.
Parent taxa Apocynaceae > Vinca
Sibling taxa
V. minor
Name authority Linnaeus: Sp. Pl. 1: 209. (1753)
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