Vinca herbacea

Vinca herbacea
Vinca herbacea leaves and flowers
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Apocynaceae
Genus:	Vinca
Species:	V. herbacea
Binomial name
Vinca herbacea Waldst. & Kit.
Synonyms
Vinca libanotica Zucc. Vinca mixta Velen. Vinca pumila E.D.Clarke

Vinca herbacea, with common name herbaceous periwinkle, is a flowering plant native to eastern and southeastern Europe, from Austria south to Greece, and east to the Crimea, and also in northern Western Asia, in the Caucasus and Alborz mountains.

It grows mainly in steppe habitats.

Description

Vinca herbacea is a herbaceous perennial growing as a trailing vine, spreading along the ground and rooting along the stems to form clonal colonies, growing up to 10–20 centimetres (3.9–7.9 in) high.

The leaves are opposite, lanceolate, 1–5 centimetres (0.39–1.97 in) long and 0.2–3 centimetres (0.079–1.181 in) broad, glossy green with an entire margin, and nearly sessile with only a very short petiole.

The flowers are produced in late summer, blue-violet or occasionally white, 2.5–3.5 centimetres (0.98–1.38 in) diameter, with a five-lobed corolla.

Cultivation

Vinca herbacea is occasionally grown as an ornamental plant in temperate climate gardens, as a rock garden plant.

References

Further reading

• Huxley, A., ed. (1992). New RHS Dictionary of Gardening 4: 664–665. Macmillan.

External links

• Hlasek.com: photo