Catharanthus roseus

Catharanthus roseus, commonly known as bright eyes, Cape periwinkle, graveyard plant, Madagascar periwinkle, old maid, pink periwinkle, rose periwinkle, is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is native and endemic to Madagascar, but grown elsewhere as an ornamental and medicinal plant. It is a source of the drugs vincristine and vinblastine, used to treat cancer. It was formerly included in the genus Vinca as Vinca rosea.

Catharanthus roseus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Clade:	Tracheophytes
Clade:	Angiosperms
Clade:	Eudicots
Clade:	Asterids
Order:	Gentianales
Family:	Apocynaceae
Genus:	Catharanthus
Species:	C. roseus
Binomial name
Catharanthus roseus (L.) G.Don
Synonyms
Vinca rosea L. Pervinca rosea (L.) Gaterau Lochnera rosea (L.) Rchb. ex Spach Ammocallis rosea (L.) Small (See also Synonyms section)

A white C. roseus flower with a yellow center

It has many vernacular names among which are arivotaombelona or rivotambelona, tonga, tongatse or trongatse, tsimatiririnina, and vonenina.