Catharanthus roseus

Madagascar rosy periwinkle
Catharanthus roseus24 08 2012 (1).JPG
Scientific classification edit
Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Clade: Asterids
Order: Gentianales
Family: Apocynaceae
Genus: Catharanthus
Species:
C. roseus
Binomial name
Catharanthus roseus
Synonyms
  • Ammocallis rosea (L.) Small
  • Catharanthus roseus var. albus G. Don
  • Hottonia littoralis Lour.
  • Lachnea rosea (L.) Rchb.
  • Lochnera rosea (L.) Rchb. ex Endl.
  • Lochnera rosea var. alba (G. Don) Hubbard
  • Lochnera rosea var. flava Tsiang
  • Pervinca rosea (L.) Gaterau
  • Pervinca rosea (L.) Moench
  • Vinca gulielmi-waldemarii Klotzsch
  • Vinca rosea L.
  • Vinca rosea var. alba (G. Don) Sweet
  • Vinca rosea var. albiflora Bertol.
  • Vinca speciosa Salisb.
A Catharanthus Roseus flower in Hyderabad, Pakistan

Catharanthus roseus, commonly known as the Madagascar periwinkle, rose periwinkle, or rosy periwinkle, is a species of flowering plant in the dogbane family Apocynaceae. It is native and endemic to Madagascar, but grown elsewhere as an ornamental and medicinal plant, a source of the drugs vincristine and vinblastine, used to treat cancer. Other English names include '“Cape periwinkle” and "old-maid". It was formerly included in the genus Vinca as Vinca rosea.

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