PERIWINKLE. 10; 



PERIWINKLE. Vlnca. 



Natural Order Contortce. Apocincce., Juss. A Genus 

 of the Pcntandria Mouogynia Class. 



Nor are the plants which England calls her own 

 Few, or unlovely. 



Mason'. 

 There sprange the Violet al newe, 



And fresh Pervinke, rich of hewe. 



Chaucer. 



The Father of English Poetry frequently notices 

 this flower by a name that was evidently derived 

 from the French Pervenche, and hence the modern 

 name of Periwinkle is a corruption. 



There lacked no floure to my dome, 

 Ne not so moche as floure of brome, 

 Ne Violet, ne eke Pervinke, 

 Ne flowre none that men can on thinke. 



Chaucer's Romaant of the Rose. 



It is the Vinca Pervinca of Pliny, from whence 

 the Spanish call it Perulnqua, the Italians Per- 

 vinca, and the French Pervenche, although it has 

 in each country a variety of names given it by 

 the vulgar, as Violette des sorciers, because the 

 French considered it one of the plants which assisted 

 the Sorcerers in their pretended magical operations; 

 they also call it Pucellage, Virgin Flower. The 



