V I N 
This genus of plants is ranged in the firft fedtion of 
Linnaeus's fifth clafs, which includes thofe plants 
whole flowers have five ftamina and one ftyle. 
The Species are, 
1. V t inca ( Minor ) caulibus procumbentibus, foliis lan- 
ceolato ovatis, floribus pedunculatis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 
209. Periwincle with trailing ftalks , and oval fpear- 
Jhaped leaves. Pervinca vulgaris, anguftifolia, fiore 
casruleo. Tourn. Inti. 120. Common narrow-leaved Pe- 
riwincle , with a blue flower. 
2. Vinca [Major) caulibus erediis, foliis ovatis, flori- , 
bus pedunculatis. Lin. Sp. Plant. 209. Periwincle 
with ere 51 flalks and oval leaves. Pervinca vulgaris, la- 
tifolia, fiore csruleo. Tourn. Inft. 119. Common 
broad-leaved Periwincle with a blue flower. 
3. Vinca ( Rofea ) foliis oblongo-ovatis integerrimis, tu- 
bo floris longifiimo, caule ramofo fruticofo. Tab. 186. 
Periwincle with oblong , oval , entire leaves , a very long 
tube to the flower , and a florubby branching ftalk. 
The firft fort grows naturally under hedges and bullies 
in many parts of England. The ftalks are llender, and 
trail upon the ground, emitting fibres from their 
joints, which take root, whereby the plant multiplies 
and fpreads greatly. The leaves are placed oppofite 
on their ftalks ; they are oval, fpear-fhaped, about 
an inch and a half long, and three quarters of an 
inch broad, of a thick confiftence, very fmooth, and 
entite j the upper fide is of a deep lucid green, and 
their under fide of a bright green colour ; they ftand 
upon fhort foot-ftalks. The flowers ftand fingly up- 
on foot-ftalks, which fpring from the wings of the 
ftalks ; they are nearly of a funnel-lfiape, but fpread 
more at their brim, which is almoft flat like a falver ; 
their brim is divided into five broad obtufe fegments : 
the tnoft common colour of the flower is blue, but 
it is often found with a white flower, and fometimes 
the flowers are variegated with both colours. Thefe 
flowers begin to appear in April, and there is often a 
fuccefiion of them continued great part of fummer. 
The flowers are very rarely fucceeded by feeds. Tour- 
nefort fays he was at a lofs for the fruit of this plant, 
to engrave the figure of it in his Elements of Botany, 
which he obtained by planting fome plants in fmall 
pots to confine their roots, and prevent their ftalks 
from trailing upon the ground. This experiment I 
tried feveral years without fuccefs, but I afterward 
planted three or four plants in the full ground, and 
conftantly cut off their lateral flhoots, leaving only the 
. upper ftalks, and thefe plants the fecond year pro- 
duced plenty of the pods. 
There are two varieties of this plant with variegated 
leaves •, one has white, and the other yellow ftripes ; 
thefe are by fome preferved in their gardens for the 
fake of variety. There is alfo one with double purple 
flowers, which I believe to be only an accidental va- 
riation, therefore have not enumerated it here. 
The fecond fort is alfo found growing naturally in fe- 
veral parts of England. The ftalks of this are larger 
than thofe of the former, and do not trail fo clofe to 
the ground ; they rife two feet high, but their tops 
decline again to the ground, and often put out roots 
when they are fuffered to lie on the ground. The 
leaves of this fort are oval, heart-ftiaped, about three 
inches long, and two broad ; they ftand oppofite upon 
thick foot-ftalks ; their upper furface is of a lucid 
green, their under is of a lighter green colour ; they 
are of a thick confiftence and entire. The flowers come 
out from the wings of the ftalk in like manner as the 
former, and are of the fame fhape, but much larger. 
Their ufual colour is blue, but they are fometimes 
feen with white flowers. This fort flowers earlier in 
the fpring than the former, and there is a fucceffion 
of them great part of fummer. 
As thefe plants delight to grow under the cover of 
trees and bufhes, fo they may be made ornamental 
in large gardens, if they are planted on the verges of 
wilderneffes, where they will fpread and cover the 
ground : and as their leaves continue green all the year, 
they will have a good effedt in winter, and their flow- 
V I N 
ers appearing great part of fummer, will add to the 
variety. 
They are eafily propagated by their trailing ftalks, 
which put out roots very freely, efpecially thofe of 
the firft fort ; and if the ftalks of the large fort are 
laid in the ground, they will root very foon~, and may 
be cut off and tranfplanted where they are to remain, 
and when they are once rooted, they will fpread 
and multiply very f aft without farther care. The firft 
fort is ufed in medicine, and is efteemed a good vul- 
nerary plant. 
The third fort grows naturally in the ifland of Mada- 
gafcar, from whence the feeds were brought to the 
Royal Garden at Paris, where the plants were firft 
railed, and produced their flowers the following fum- 
mer ; from thefe plants good feeds were obtained, part 
of which was fent me by Mr. Richard, gardener to 
the King at Verfailles and Trianon. Thefe fucceeded 
in the Chelfea Garden, where many plants were raifed. 
It rifes with an upright branching ftalk to the height 
of three or four feet, which when young are fuccu- 
lent, jointed, and of a purple colour ; but as the plants 
advance, their lower parts become ligneous. The 
branches which come out from the fide, have their 
joints very clofe ; they have a fmooth purple bark, 
and are garnilhed with oblong, oval, entire leaves, 
two inches and a half long, and one and a half broad ; 
they are fmooth and fucculent, fitting pretty clofe to 
the branches. The flowers come out from the wings 
of the branches fingly, {landing upon very fhort foot- 
ftalks \ their tube is long and flender •, their brim 
fpreads open flat, which is divided into five broad ob- 
tufe fegments, which are reflexed at their points. The 
upper furface of the petal is of a bright crimfon or 
Peach colour, and their under fide is of a pale flefh 
colour. There is a fuccefiion of thefe flowers upon 
the fame plant, from February to the end of October. 
Thofe flowers which appear early in the fummer, are 
fucceeded by taper feed-veffels, filled with roundifh 
black feeds, which ripen in autumn. 
This fort is propagated by feeds or cuttings ; thofe 
plants which arife from feeds grow more upright, and 
do not branch fo much as the plants which are propa- 
gated by cuttings. The feeds of this fhould be fown 
upon a moderate hot-bed in the fpring, and when the 
plants come up, and are fit to remove, they fhould be 
tranfplanted on a frefh hot-bed at about four inches 
diftance, fhading them from the fun till they have 
taken new root j then they muft be treated in the 
fame way as other young tender plants which are na- 
tives of warm countries ; but there muft be great 
care had to prevent their drawing up weak, nor fhould 
they have water in too great plenty. When the plants 
have obtained ftrength, they fhould be carefully taken 
up with balls of earth to their roots, and planted in 
pots filled with good earth, and plunged into a mode- 
rate hot-bed to facilitate their taking new root, ob- 
ferving to fcreen them from the fun, and when they 
are well rooted in the pots, they muft be gradually 
hardened to bear the open air * but unlefs the fum- 
mer proves warm, thefe plants fhould not be placed 
in the open air, for they will not thrive if they are 
expofed to cold or wet •, therefore during the fum- 
mer they fhould be placed in an airy glafs-cafe, 
and in winter they muft be removed into the ftove, 
where the air is kept to a temperate heat, with- 
out which they will not live through the winter in 
England. 
If thefe plants are propagated by cuttings, they fhould 
be planted in pots during any of the fummer months. 
The pots fhould be plunged into a moderate hot-bed, 
and if they are clofely covered with bell or hand- 
glafles, it will caufe them to put out roots fooner than 
they otherwife would do ; when thefe have put out 
roots, they muft be gradually hardened, and after- 
ward planted in pots, and treated in the fame way as 
the feedling plants. 
This plant deferves a place in the ftove, as much as 
any of the exotic plants we have in England, becaufe 
6 the 
