Vinca (/ˈvɪŋkə/; Latin: vincire "to bind, fetter") is an Old World genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae. The English name periwinkle is shared with the related genus Catharanthus (and with the mollusc Littorina littorea). Some Vinca species are cultivated but have also spread invasively. Additionally, some species have medicinal uses. The most widespread species is Vinca minor.
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In this Dossier
Vinca in the context of Invasive alien species
An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. Since the 20th century, invasive species have become serious economic, social, and environmental threats worldwide.
Invasion of long-established ecosystems by organisms is a natural phenomenon, but human-facilitated introductions have greatly increased the rate, scale, and geographic range of invasion. For millennia, humans have served as both accidental and deliberate dispersal agents, beginning with their earliest migrations, accelerating in the Age of Discovery, and accelerating again with the spread of international trade. Notable invasive plant species include the kudzu vine, giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica), and yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis). Notable invasive animals include European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), domestic cats (Felis catus), and carp (family Cyprinidae).
Vinca in the context of Asterids
Asterids are a large clade (monophyletic group) of flowering plants, composed of 17 orders and more than 80,000 species, about a third of the total flowering plant species. The asterids are divided into the unranked clades lamiids (8 orders) and campanulids (7 orders), and the single orders Cornales and Ericales. Well-known asterids include dogwoods and hydrangeas (order Cornales), tea, blueberries, cranberries, kiwifruit, Brazil nuts, argan, sapote, and azaleas (order Ericales), sunflowers, lettuce, common daisy, yacon, carrots, celery, parsley, parsnips, ginseng, ivies, holly, honeysuckle, elder, and valerian (clade campanulids), borage, forget-me-nots, comfrey, coffee, frangipani, gentian, pong-pong, oleander, periwinkle, basil, mint, rosemary, sage, oregano, thyme, lavender, wild dagga, olives, ash, teak, foxgloves, lilac, jasmine, snapdragons, African violets, butterfly bushes, sesame, psyllium, potatoes, eggplants, tomatoes, chilli peppers, tobacco, petunias, morning glory, and sweet potato (clade lamiids).
Most of the taxa belonging to this clade had been referred to as Asteridae in the Cronquist system (1981) and as Sympetalae in earlier systems. The name asterids (not necessarily capitalised) resembles the earlier botanical name but is intended to be the name of a clade rather than a formal ranked name, in the sense of the ICBN.
Vinca in the context of Invasive organism
An invasive species is an introduced species that harms its new environment. Invasive species adversely affect habitats and bioregions, causing ecological, environmental, and/or economic damage. Since the 20th century, invasive species have become serious economic, social, and environmental threats worldwide.
Invasion of long-established ecosystems by organisms is a natural phenomenon, but human-facilitated introductions have greatly increased the rate, scale, and geographic range of invasion. For millennia, humans have served as both accidental and deliberate dispersal agents, beginning with their earliest migrations, accelerating in the Age of Discovery, and accelerating again with the spread of international trade. Notable plant species that are invasive in North America include the kudzu vine (Pueraria), giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), Japanese knotweed (Reynoutria japonica), and yellow starthistle (Centaurea solstitialis). Notable animal species that are invasive in North America include European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), domestic cats (Felis catus), and carp (family Cyprinidae).