Vinca major Greater Periwinkle

A low growing, evergreen perennial with an arching, spreading growth form. It is native to the Mediteranean area of Europe but has been cultivated in gardens as a ground cover plant for centuries and was first recorded wild in Britain in 1677. It can become troublesome in gardens as a result of its vigorous, spreading growth strategy and it is frequently thrown out. As a result, it has become naturalised widely in Britain, particularly in southern Britain. It is a bigger plant than Lesser Periwinkle (Vinca minor) with larger, purple-blue flowers, wider leaves that are minutely hairy along their edges and minutely hairy calyx kobes. It is also more common in West Glamorgan where it is usually found in hedgebanks, verges and along woodland edges. It occurs in Britain as 2 varieties, var. major and var. oxyloba, but var. oxyloba is rarely found naturalised. Like Lesser Periwinkle, Greater Periwinkle conatins a number of bioactive phytochemicals such as alkaloids (e.g. vincamine), flavonoids, saponins and sterols. See account of Vinca minor for more details.

Neophyte