FoI
Large Leaf Periwinkle
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Large Leaf Periwinkle
aturalized Photo: Tabish
Common name: Large Leaf Periwinkle, Large Periwinkle, Greater Periwinkle, Blue Periwinkle
Botanical name: Vinca major    Family: Apocynaceae (Oleander family)

Large Leaf Periwinkle is an evergreen trailing vine, spreading along the ground and rooting along the stems to form patches of ground cover 2-5 m across and scrambling up to 50-70 cm high. Oppositely arranged leaves are 3-9 cm long and 2-6 cm broad, glossy dark green with a leathery texture and an entire but distinctly hairy margin, and a hairy petiole 1-2 cm long. The most clear feature to distinguish it from Lesser Periwinkle is that it has larger leaves with distinctly hairy margins, whereas the margin of the leaves of Lesser Periwinkle is not hairy. The flowers are produced from early spring to autumn, violet-purple, 3-5 cm diameter, with 5 petals. Flower size doesn't always distinguish between Large Leaf Periwinkle and Lesser Periwinkle. Large Leaf Periwinkle is native to Europe, but now widely naturalized in some Himalayan regions in India.

Identification credit: Tabish Photographed in Chail, Himachal Pradesh.

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