Kingdom: Plantae
(Unranked): Angiosperms
(Unranked): Eudicots
(Unranked): Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Vinca
Species: V. major
Binomial name: Vinca major
Variety name: Vinca major variegata
Common name:Variegated periwinkle
Vinca major is a herbaceous, perennial rhizomatous and stoloniferous flowering plant. It is a native to southern Europe and northern Africa. Vinca major is an evergreen trailing vine, spreading along the ground and rooting along the stems to form dense masses of groundcover individually 2-5 m across and scrambling up to 50-70 cm high.
The leaves are opposite, nearly orbicular at the base of the stems and lanceolate at the apex, 3-9 cm long and 2-6 cm broad, with a leathery texture and an entire but distinctly ciliate margin, and a hairy petiole 1-2 cm long.
The flowers are hermaphrodite, axillary and solitary, violet-purple, 3-5 cm in diameter, with a five-lobed corolla. The calyx surrounding the base of the flower is 10–17 millimetres (0.39–0.67 in) long with hairy margins. The flowering period extends from early spring to autumn.
Photos below are of the variegated variety: Vinca major variegata
The underside of a leaf.
Thanks to Wikipedia for text and information http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/
