1934 



VINCA 



VINCA 



slowly but surely in about a iiKnith, and until February 

 will do very well in a 2Vo-in<.'li ]>nr. About the middle of 

 February shake oft" the s*.)il and give them a 3-inch pot, 

 and they will make a line growth bv middle of May. In 



dark purple fls. ; aurea variegttta, with golden variega- 

 tion; csenilea, with siny:le tdue tls. ; plena, with doulde 

 blue tls.; rosea, with j^ingle rosy Hs.; purpurea plena, 

 with purple double tis. Gn. 50:1078. Some of these are 



2671. Vinca minor, the Common Periwinkle, or Running Myrtle. Natural size. 



growing these trailing Viiicas in jiots tin' jirinr-ipal point 

 to observe is never tu let them want for water. 



AViLLiAM Scott. 



Vinca is a genus of herbs or subshrubs, erect or pro- 

 cumbent: Ivs. oppv)siri.'; tis. rather large, axillary, soli- 

 tary; corolla salver-shaped, with a narrow throat which 

 is pilose inside or thickened-calloused; stamens in- 

 cluded above the miildle of the tube; carpels 2, di.stinct; 

 stigma annular, thick, viscid; ovules 'j-many in each 

 carpel, in 2 series: follicles 2, erect or divergent. The 

 genus may be divided into 2 sections: 1. Pervinca , in 

 which tlie anther-cells are short and divided by a wide 

 connective; 2. Locli iii^rri, in which the aiither-cellH are 

 normal. I'. )■'>.■ ,^ a ludi.nLCs to Section 2; the others men- 

 tioned beh.'W are imduded iii Section 1. 



alba, 1, 4. 

 argenteii. 1. 

 atropurpurea, 1. 

 aurea, 2. 

 Bride, The, 1. 

 cserulea, 1. 



INDEX. 



elegantissima,l,2. 

 herlKK.-ea, ii. 

 major. 1^. 

 luiiiur, 1. 

 »r»l,-,to, 4. 

 ph'ua, 1. 



purpurea, 1. 

 retif'ulata, 2. 

 rosea, 4. 

 variot^^ata, 2. 

 variiis, 4. 



A. T)-aiJh}(! Jti'rbs, Jim-'lii "i- ncdrhf sn,<inltf tli<' short 

 floivvriiiij sU'iiis iismti.Tniij: I'/s . pro/} iirt'd )>l sprinij 

 or earhj stDiiincr, inosUff bhi.if or ir/ii/e. JEuropen ii 

 species. 



B. F"? lage I'vprfjreen. 



C. Lvs. ov<lt(' or ohJoiifi-nrnfr: rorolla -Join's )re'Ji/e- 

 s Ji apt'd : ca lijx y hi hrons . 



1. minor, Linn. Co:\r]MON Periwinkle. Blue, Ron- 

 NiNC; or Tkailing Myrtle. Fig. 2(i71. Hardy evergreen 

 trailing herb, in all country gardens and running wild 

 in cemeteries and shady places, the blue-Hd. or typical 

 form being commonest. Often called "Myrtle" but the 

 classic myrtle is Myrfus conininiiis. Very rarely pro- 

 dm-es seed, but spreads freely by creeping'sterile'stems 

 which root at every joint. Lvs. ovate or oblong-ovate, 

 glabrous and shining, barely IS' in. long: petiole very 

 short, wdth 2 glands near the apex: calyx-lobes lai^ceo- 

 late. glabrous ; corolla - lobes wedge - sliaped, obtusely 

 truncate. Eu. 



The following horticnUural varieties are advertised in 

 America: Var. alba, with sin,u:lr white Hs. ; alba plena, 

 with double white Us.; alba varieg^ta, with single white 

 lis. and variegated foliage; argentea variegita, with 

 silvery variegation ; atropurpiirea comDacta, with sint^le 



advertised without reference to T. minor, as if they 

 were good species, thus I', cwrulea and piirpu-rea . V. 

 elrt/antissima alba belongs here, also "The Bride," a 

 white variety with a pink center. 



Lr.^. siibcordafe-ova te : coroJla-lohe 

 filiate. 



obovtite: calyx. 



2. m^ior, Linn. Larger Periwinkle. Larger in all 

 its parts than V. minor, not quite hardy north, and root- 

 ing only at the tips of the sterile stems. Lvs. broader 

 below the middle than in P^ minor, subcordate-ovate, 

 often 2-3 in. long, eiliate; petiole with 2 glands near the 

 apex : fls. blue ; calyx-lobes narrowly linear, eiliate ; 

 corolla-lobes obovate. Eu. — This species is much sub- 

 ject to mealy bug. The va- 

 riegated forms are popular 

 for veranda boxes and 

 hanging baskets. Some are 

 blotched with yellow, oth- 

 ers are margined. Here 

 seem to belong T. aurea 

 m a rff i n a to ;u id 1 "". « ari-a. 

 maculafn, Hort. T. )ii<fjor, 

 vars.variegata and reticu- 

 lata, are also advertise<l. 

 Var. elegantissima, Hort.. 

 is a handsome form with 

 lvs. bordered and blotched 

 with yellowish white. It 

 seems to be connnon with 

 the Hoiists, although it is 

 rartdy, if ever, advertised 

 in American trade cata- 

 logues. It is one of the 

 l.iest forms for vases for 

 baskets and for decora- 

 tion indoors. The sprays 

 shotild be allowed to grow 

 long, in order to develop 

 their characteristics. Cut- 

 tings should be struck 

 early in the fall and if kept 

 growing steadily will make 

 satisfactory specimens in 

 five-inch pots. It is a good 

 idea U> plant this variety 

 in the front part of a sunny 

 greenhouse bench where 

 the long sprays may reach down to the walk. As a 

 window -box plant it has the merit of withstanding 

 considoraljle neglect. 



2672. Vinca rosea, 



(X uearb' }-2). 



