Cartharanthus roseus, commonly known as the Madagascar Periwinkle, is a species of Catharanthus native and endemic to Madagascar. Other English names used include Cape periwinkle, Rose periwinkle, Rosy periwinkle, and "old-maid".
It is an ever-green subshrub or herbaceous plant growing to 1 m tall. The leaves are oval to oblong, 2.5 - 9 cm long and 1 - 3.5 cm broad, glossy green, hairless, with a pale midrib and a short petiole 1 - 1.8 cm long; they are often arranged in opposite pairs. The flowers are white to dark pink with a darker center, with a basal tube 2.5 - 3 cm long and a corolla 2 - 5 cm diameter with five petal like lobes. The fruit is a pair of follicles 2 - 4 cm long and 3 mm broad.
In the wild, it is an endangered plant; the main cause of decline is habitat destruction by slash and burn agriculture. It is also, however, widely cultivated and is naturalized in subtropical and tropical areas of the world.
The species has long been cultivated for herbal medicine and as an ornamental plant. In Ayurveda (Indian traditional medicine) the extracts of its roots and shoots, though poisonous, are used against several diseases. In traditional Chinese medicine, extracts from it have been used against numerous diseases, including diabetes, malaria, and Hodgkin's lymphoma. The substances vinblastine and vincristine extracted from the plant are used in the treatment of leukemia and Hodgkin's lymphoma.
This conflict between historical indigenous use, and recent patents on C. roseus - derived drugs by western pharmaceutical companies, without compensation, has led to accusations of biopiracy.
It can be dangerous is consumed orally. It can be extremely toxic, and is cited (under its synonum, Vinca rosea) in Louisiana State Act 159.
As an ornamental plant, it is appreciated for its hardiness in deficient conditions, popular in subtropical gardens where temperatures never fall below 5 - 7*C , and as a warm-season bedding plant in temperature gardens. It is noted for its long flowering period, throughout the year in tropical conditions, and from Spring to late Autumn, in warm temperate climates. Full sun and well-drained soil are preferred. Numerous cultivars have been selected, for variation in flower color (white, mauve, peach, scarlet, and reddish-orange), and also for tolerance of cooler growing conditions in temperate conditions. Notable cultivars include "Albus" (white flowers), "Grape Cooler" (rose-pink; cool-tolerant), the "Ocellatus Group" (various colors), and "Peppermint Cooler" (white with a red center, cool-tolerant).
C. roseus is used in plant pathology as an experimental host for phytoplasmas. This is because it is easy to infect with a large majority of phytoplasmas, and also often has very distinctive symptoms such as phyllody and significantly reduced leaf size.
Article excerpt is from Wikipedia.org under the Creative Commons License.
Image reused under the GNU Free Documentation License.
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