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bigleaf periwinkle, greater periwinkle, large periwinkle, vinca

common periwinkle, lesser periwinkle

Stems

ascending and trailing.

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.

petiole 1–2(–10) mm, glabrous, without glandular appendages;

blade lanceolate to elliptic or sometimes ovate, 1.5–4.5 × 0.5–2.5 cm (distals), membranous, base rounded or cuneate, margins not ciliate, apex obtuse to acute, glabrous.

Peduncles

1.5–4 cm, glabrous.

1.5–2.5(–3.5) 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.

calyx lobes narrowly lanceolate, 3–4 mm, glabrous;

corolla blue-violet, rarely pale blue, reddish purple, or white, glabrous abaxially, eglandular-pubescent adaxially, tube 3–6 × 2–3 mm, throat 5–7 × 3–4 mm, lobes spreading, obliquely dolabriform, 10–15 × 6–15 mm.

Seeds

7–10 × 2–2.6 mm.

5–7 × 2–2.3 mm.

Follicles

25–50 × 2–3 mm.

20–30(–60) × 2–3 mm.

2n

= 92.

= 46.

Vinca major

Vinca minor

Phenology Flowering spring (or year-round in the southern United States); fruiting summer. Flowering spring; fruiting summer.
Habitat Open woodlands, stream and woodland margins, old home sites, other shaded disturbed areas. Roadsides, open woodlands, shaded disturbed areas, old cemeteries, homesites.
Elevation 0–1900 m. (0–6200 ft.) 0–1300 m. (0–4300 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]
from FNA
AL; AR; CA; CT; DC; DE; FL; GA; IA; ID; IL; IN; KS; KY; LA; MA; MD; ME; MI; MN; MO; MS; NC; NE; NH; NJ; NY; OH; OK; OR; PA; RI; SC; TN; TX; UT; VA; VT; WA; WI; WV; BC; NB; NS; ON; QC; Europe; w Asia [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.)

Vinca minor has been widely introduced as an ornamental and commonly spreads from cultivation. It is more frost-hardy than V. major and more common in the midwestern and northeastern United States and eastern Canada, while V. major is abundant across the southern United States. Vinca minor is regarded as invasive in parts of Georgia, Kentucky, South Carolina, and Tennessee.

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

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