Vinca minor Lesser Periwinkle

A low-growing, procumbent, evergreen perennial which is native to much of Europe, eastwards to Russia and the Caucasus. It has probably been cultivated in Britain for centuries as a ground cover species with attractive violet-blue flowers and is commonly found in gardens, parks and amenity plantings. It is shade tolerant and sometimes becomes naturalised in wooded and scrubby areas, hedgerows, banks and verges. It is smaller than Greater Periwinkle (Vinca major), which it generally resembles, with narrower leaves and smaller flowers about 2.5cm in diameter. It is found throughout most of Britain but is absent from much of the Welsh uplands, Scotland and Ireland. It has a scattered distribution in West Glamorgan, mostly in the Swansea area, but it is generally uncommon as a naturalised species and it is less invasive than Greater Periwinkle. Lesser Periwinkle can be confused with Intermediate Periwinkle (Vinca difformis) which has slightly larger flowers. The family to which Vinca species belongs, the Apocynaceae, is of great significance in pharmacology and Lesser Periwinkle in particular is a rich source of important phytochemicals including alkaloids and flavonoids. Some of the most valuable compounds are a group of monoterpene indole alkaloids, of which vincamine is the most important and used in the treatment of cerebral insufficiency where it improves blood flow to the brain. Vinca alkaloids are also used in the treatment of various cancers (e.g. breast and testicular cancer).

Neophyte