July 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
though common periwinkle, in its larger and lesser 
species, and their different varieties, clothed with 
glossy green foliage, or variegated with silver and 
golden tints, and adorned with ilowers, single and 
double, sweetly blue and delicately white. Amid 
tire gorgeousness of summer floral attractions, the 
periwinkle is apt to be overlooked, just as other ob¬ 
jects, such as human flowers, of humble aspirations 
yet conscious worth, are not obtruded upon public 
gaze, but bloom the most sweetly in the retirements, 
and even amid the vicissitudes and disappointments, 
of life ; so those hardy vincas, or periwinkles, lowly 
in their growth, shine most sweetly amid the sored 
aspect of winter, flourishing in almost every soil, and 
where nought else would grow; and beautiful too 
are they, when spring returns the new foliage to the 
trees, as their pretty flowers are unfolded at your 
feet, and their trailing shoots form a carpet for your 
tread, while in the distance is heard the purling of 
the brook, and overhead sweet notes of love and 
harmony are echoed and re-echoed from tree to tree. 
Amid such scenes, thoughts have arisen, resolutions 
been made, vows registered, hopes engendered, that, 
if rightly directed, give a colouring of purity to our 
sensibilities, and a tone of integrity to our character; 
and hence, lovely as are the few denizens of the stove 
that belong to the genus, I seldom look upon them 
without reverting to the many associations connected 
with their hardier types, that fringe the walk, mantlo 
the knoll, and clothe the glade beneath the thick 
shade of the “ greenwood tree.” 
The genus Vinca, or Periwinkle, belongs to tho 
5tli class and 1st order of Linnaeus’ system, and to 
the natural order Apocynace/E. The term vinca is 
probably derived from vincio, to bind, in allusion to 
the long, trailing, pliable shoots, which all tho peri¬ 
winkles possess, thus fitting them for ligatures upon 
a small scale. The stove plants are somewhat diffe¬ 
rent in the appearance of their flowers, and altoge¬ 
ther different in their habit of growth, as, with the 
exception of a small blue annual (V. pusilla), tho 
others are small, upright, evergreen shrubs, natives 
of the East Indies, which have been cultivated in 
this country for more than a century. I do not 
know the reason why botanists should have given to 
tho tender part of the family the generic name of 
Gathamnthus (from catharos, pure, and audios, a 
flower), but there can be no doubt that while they 
are altogether, so far as mere growth is concerned, 
destitute of thoso peculiarities that render the term 
vinca appropriate to the hardy species, they will sus¬ 
tain tho title catharanthus, for few plants can so rea¬ 
dily awaken impressions of purity and innocence, 
blended with beauty. 
Were it the object of this journal to treat deeply 
upon botanical science, I should, of necessity, be 
forced to give up the office of occasional steersman, 
and take a seat on tho side of the craft; but still a 
little knowledge of its general principles is necessary 
before you can understand the simplest description 
of a plant, or experience that pleasure which the in¬ 
vestigation of its structure confers; a pleasure more 
elevating and enduring than that experienced by the 
common admirer. Take the present instance. The 
family of which we are treating is monopetalous 
in its corolla. We presume you know the meaning 
of all such terms, and also of stamens, pistils, &c., 
and, if not, we shall be too happy to make you as 
knowing as wo are ourselves. Well, just glance at 
the blue flower of the larger periwinkle, tho vinca 
major. It looks like a convolvulus. Aye, but you 
see no stamens and pistils adorning its centre. Why, 
213 
no, it has none. Wait a bit: observe that yellowish 
centre of tho flower; stir it up with the point of a 
needle or tho point of your penknife; and, lo ! you 
will find that that yellowish marking is tho back of 
five separate anthers, or heads of stamens, whose 
thready filaments are imbedded in the tube of the 
corolla, while the face or pollen side of each of these 
anthers is inverted over, and firmly clasps, the stigma 
of the pistil. And what a stigma! It seems like 
a number concentrated in one. And what a pistil 
altogether! No description can give you such an 
idea as one practical peep. Take a homely illustra¬ 
tion. You have seen many of the columns which 
supported the old-fashioned round tables. The arti¬ 
ficer has left a wide part at the base where the feet 
are to be inserted, the rest of the column is round 
and tapering ; as he nears the top a wider space re¬ 
sembling a ring has been left, then a groove, and 
then another ring, wider still, on which the table is 
to rest; and just such an appearance does this 
curious pistil present, the widest part at tho top 
being that which tho anthers are clasping. Evi¬ 
dences of the power and wisdom of the Deity there 
are in the coursing of a star and the upheaving of a 
continent, but similar evidences appear in the struc¬ 
ture of a plant, in the formation of a flower. Else- 
whero we have winds, insects, irratibility, &c., made 
subservient to the promoting of fructification, but 
here, and in other cases, we find that the stigma of 
the pistil cannot escape if she would from the ferti¬ 
lizing principle. 
The structure of the flower of the vinca or catha¬ 
ranthus, residents of the stove, is more wondrous 
still. The corolla, elevating itself by a long slender 
tube, is expanded into a flat blossom two or three 
inches in diameter, divided into five segments so 
equally that tho passing observer would take them 
for five separate petals ; just inside tho junction of 
the segments is a pretty ring of a different colour 
from the segments, and inside the ring a little hole, 
as if formed with a needle, tho termination of the 
tube which supports and elevates the beautiful blos¬ 
som. Beneath the little opening, and concealed by 
tho tube from observation, are tho parts of fructifica¬ 
tion, similar to what I have described as existing in 
the hardy species, but less conspicuous, though, if 
anything, more elegant, the style which supports the 
whorled-knobbed stigma being as fine as a silken 
thread. This little hole seems the only inlet for 
light and air. Oh ! for the the wishing-cap and tho 
invisible coat of fairy-controlling times, to get en¬ 
sconced in the bottom of that slender tube, to behold 
the effect produced by the first rays of light through 
that camera obscura opening, and gain some know¬ 
ledge as to the how a some thousandth part of a grain 
of pollen can traverse that tuberculated and whorled 
stigma, descend that long slender style, and fertilize 
the germen at its base ! 
Stove Species or Varieties. —There are only three 
with which I am acquainted: Vinca rosea, rose, with 
purple ring; V. rosea alba, pure white, with crimson 
ring, named ocellata by some; and V. alba, pure 
white, with a yellowish ring. I have hoard of one 
with variegated foliage. 
Propagation is easily effected by cuttings of the 
young shoots placed in light sandy soil under a bell- 
glass, and with or without bottom heat, in July. 
Culture. —They flourish best in equal portions of 
rough loam and peat, with a few pieces of charcoal 
and a dash of silver sand. Cuttings put in now will 
make fine plants next season. If your room is very 
limited, either depend upon young plants, or treat 
