Vinca minor L., 1753

🇬🇧 Lesser Periwinkle

🇫🇷 Pervenche humble, Pervenche mineure, Petite pervenche, Violette de serpent

Taxonomy

Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Superasterids
Clade: Asterids
Clade: Lamiids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Subfamily: Rauvolfioideae
Tribe: Vinceae
Subtribe: Vincinae
Genus: Vinca
Species: Vinca minor

Presence

Present.

Conservation status

Red List (Metropolitan France): LC Least Concern
Red List (Europe): LC Least Concern

Notes

Possible confusion with V. major L., 1753, which has larger flowers and broader leaves, while V. minor has smaller flowers and narrower leaves.

Possible confusion with V. herbacea Waldst. & Kit., 1799, whose leaves are herbaceous, while those of V. minor are coriaceous.

Sometimes cultivated as an ornamental plant. Many cultivars exist, including ones with variegated leaves or different flower colors. Can cover large areas in woodland.

Photographs

img/vinca-minor-5.webp — *Vinca minor* - Leaves

Sources

Chadburn, H. (2014). Vinca minor (Europe assessment). The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, 2014. https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/202962/2758273
Tison, J.M., & de Foucault, B. (2014). Flora Gallica : Flore de France (p. 372). Biotope.