Vinca minor

Image:Vinca major-minor margins.jpg below (with hairy margin). Scale in mm.]]

Vinca minor is a trailing subshrub, spreading along the ground and rooting along the stems to form large clonal colonies and occasionally scrambling up to {{convert|40|cm}} high but never twining or climbing. The leaves are evergreen, opposite, {{convert|2|-|4.5|cm|abbr=on|frac=4}} long and {{convert|1|-|2.5|cm|abbr=on|frac=4}} broad, glossy dark green with a leathery texture and an entire margin.

The flowers 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), {{convert|2|–|3|cm|abbr=on|frac=4}} diameter, with a five-lobed corolla. The fruit is a pair of follicles {{convert|2.5|cm|abbr=on|frac=4}} long, containing numerous seeds.

Vinca minor contains more than 50 alkaloids, including vincamine.{{Cite journal |last1=Khanavi |first1=M. |last2=Pourmoslemi |first2=S. |last3=Farahanikia |first3=B. |last4=Hadjiakhoondi |first4=A. |last5=Ostad |first5=S. N. |year=2010 |title=Cytotoxicity ofVinca minor |journal=Pharmaceutical Biology |volume=48 |issue=1 |pages=96–100 |doi=10.3109/13880200903046187 |pmid=20645762 |s2cid=42993549 |doi-access=free}} Other alkaloids include reserpine, rescinnamine, akuammicine, majdine, vinerine, ervine, vineridine, tombozine, vincamajine, vincanine, vincanidine,{{Cite journal |last1=Tulyaganov |first1=T. S. |last2=Nigmatullaev |first2=A. M. |year=2000 |title=Alkaloids of Vinca minor |journal=Chemistry of Natural Compounds |volume=36 |issue=5 |pages=540 |bibcode=2000CNatC..36..540T |doi=10.1023/A:1002820414086 |s2cid=45597272}} vinburnine, apovincamine, vincaminol, desoxyvincaminol,{{Cite journal |last1=Smeyers |first1=Y. G. |last2=Smeyers |first2=N. J. |last3=Randez |first3=J. J. |last4=Hernandez-Laguna |first4=A. |last5=Galvez-Ruano |first5=E. |year=1991 |title=A structural and pharmacological study of alkaloids of Vinca Minor |journal=Molecular Engineering |volume=1 |issue=2 |pages=153 |doi=10.1007/BF00420051 |s2cid=93210480}} vincorine{{Cite journal |last1=Yasui |first1=Y. |last2=Kinugawa |first2=T. |last3=Takemoto |first3=Y. |year=2009 |title=Synthetic studies on {{chem name|vincorine}}: Access to the 3a,8a-dialkyl-1,2,3,3a,8,8a-hexahydropyrrolo\2,3-b]indole skeleton |url=https://zenodo.org/record/895697 |journal=Chemical Communications |issue=28 |pages=4275–7 |doi=10.1039/b907210a |pmid=19585045}} and perivincine.{{Cite journal |last1=Farnsworth |first1=N. R. |last2=Draus |first2=F. J. |last3=Sager |first3=R. W. |last4=Bianculli |first4=J. A. |year=2006 |title=Studies on Vinca major L. (Apocynaceae) I. Isolation of perivincine |journal=Journal of the American Pharmaceutical Association |volume=49 |issue=9 |pages=589 |doi=10.1002/jps.3030490908}}

The closely related Vinca major is similar, but larger in all parts, and also has relatively broader leaves with a hairy margin.

Vinca minor is native 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.

It is considered an invasive species{{Cite web |title=common periwinkle: Vinca minor (Gentianales: Apocynaceae): Invasive Plant Atlas of the United States |url=https://www.invasiveplantatlas.org/subject.html?sub=3081 |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=www.invasiveplantatlas.org}}{{Cite web |title=Texas Invasives |url=https://www.texasinvasives.org/plant_database/detail.php?symbol=VIMI2 |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=www.texasinvasives.org}}{{Cite web |date=2021-11-17 |title=Periwinkle (Vinca Minor) |url=https://mgnv.org/plants/invasive-plants/periwinkle/ |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia |language=en-US}} in some areas of the United States, primarily because of its ability to form dense and extensive mats along the forest floor, displacing native herbaceous and woody plant species.

The species has few pests or diseases outside its native range and is widely naturalized as a result. 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. Spraying with glyphosate easily kills the plant in 2–3 weeks. Removal involves cutting, followed by immediate application of concentrated glyphosate or triclopyr to the cut stems. Repeated chemical treatments may be necessary, along with digging up the roots where feasible.

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 U.S. and naturalized periwinkle may indicate the presence of graves whose other markers have disappeared.{{cite news|last1=Hobbs|first1=Holly|title=Preservation group discovers Fairfax County's past as it cleans up graves|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/preservation-group-discovers-fairfax-countys-past-as-it-cleans-up-graves/2012/11/20/74e6f268-314d-11e2-9f50-0308e1e75445_story.html|newspaper=Washington Post|date=2012-11-20}}

{{gallery|mode=packed

|Vinca minor patch MN 2007.JPG|Dense groundcover

|Vinca minor in Latvia.jpg|In castle ruins

}}

File:Vinca minor 'Argenteovariegata' Barwinek pospolity 2017-10-15 01.jpg

There are numerous cultivars, with different flower colours and variegated 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's Award of Garden Merit:{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/plants/pdfs/agm-lists/agm-ornamentals.pdf | title = AGM Plants - Ornamental | date = July 2017 | page = 107 | publisher = Royal Horticultural Society | access-date = 18 February 2019}}

• 'Argenteovariegata'{{cite web | url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/53560/Vinca-minor-Argenteovariegata-(v)/Details | title=Vinca minor Argenteovariegata| publisher=RHS | access-date=17 March 2021}} (leaves have creamy white margins)
• 'Atropurpurea'{{cite web|url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/96889/Vinca-minor-Atropurpurea/Details|title=Vinca minor Atropurpurea|publisher=RHS|access-date=17 March 2021}} (burgundy-purple flowers)
• 'Azurea Flore Pleno'{{cite web|url=http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=2023|title=Vinca minor 'Azurea Flore Pleno'|publisher=RHS|access-date=17 March 2021}} (double blue flowers)
• 'Bowles's Variety'{{cite web|url=https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/81165/Vinca-minor-Bowles-s-Variety/Details|title=Vinca minor 'Bowles's Variety' |publisher=RHS|access-date=19 February 2019}} (violet-blue flowers: also known as 'Bowles's Blue' and 'La Grave')
• 'Ralph Shugert'{{cite web | url = https://www.rhs.org.uk/Plants/208929/Vinca-minor-Ralph-Shugert-(v)/Details | title = ''Vinca minor 'Ralph Shugert' | publisher = RHS | access-date = 5 March 2021}}

Vinpocetine (brand names: Cavinton, Intelectol; chemical name: ethyl apovincaminate) is a semisynthetic derivative alkaloid of vincamine with purported medicinal uses.{{cite journal |vauthors=Zhang YS, Li JD, Yan C |date=January 2018 |title=An update on vinpocetine: New discoveries and clinical implications |journal=European Journal of Pharmacology |volume=819 |issue= |pages=30–34 |doi=10.1016/j.ejphar.2017.11.041 |pmc=5766389 |pmid=29183836 |doi-access=free}}

The colour name periwinkle is derived from the flower.

{{Reflist}}

• [http://rbg-web2.rbge.org.uk/cgi-bin/nph-readbtree.pl/feout?FAMILY_XREF=&GENUS_XREF=Vinca&SPECIES_XREF=minor&TAXON_NAME_XREF=&RANK= Flora Europaea: Vinca minor distribution]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060221102823/http://www.vc.ehu.es/plfarm/47.vimi.htm Morphology and ecology of Vinca minor] (in Spanish)
• [http://www.borealforest.org/world/herbs_shrubs/lesser_periwinkle.htm Borealforest: Vinca minor]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20060901140101/http://hcs.osu.edu/pocketgardener/source/description/vi_minor.html Vinca minor] (from Ohio State University's [https://web.archive.org/web/20060827124911/http://hcs.osu.edu/pocketgardener/source/index.html Pocket Gardener])
• [http://www.invasive.org/browse/subject.cfm?sub=3081 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.
• [http://climbers.lsa.umich.edu/?p=170 detailed technical description]
• [http://eol.org/pages/585626/details Encyclopedia of Life database entry]

{{Commons|Vinca minor}}

• [https://web.archive.org/web/20070915032627/http://biotech.icmb.utexas.edu/botany/perihist.html Traditional Medicine Uses: Vinca minor]
• {{PFAF|Vinca minor}}
• {{Calflora}}
• {{CalPhotos|Vinca|minor}}

{{Taxonbar|from=Q161777}}

minor

Category:Medicinal plants of Europe

Category:Groundcovers

Category:Garden plants of Europe

Category:Plants described in 1753

Category:Taxa named by Carl Linnaeus

Category:Subshrubs