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Accession Data

Catharanthus roseus

Common Name: Rose Periwinkle

Family: Apocynaceae

Country of Origin: Madagascar to India

Description: [syn. Ammocallis rosea (L.) Small;Lochnera rosea (L.) Rchb.;Vinca rosea L.]

Has medicinal properties and is posionous when eaten by cows.
Source of the anti-tumor alkaloids vinblastine and vincristine

Uses: In Ayurveda, this plant is considered to reduce Kapha and Vatta agitation as a drying property. All parts of the plant are used in various treatments against cancer, regulating sugar levels in the blood for diabetics, and preventing memory loss and diseases like Alzheimer's. Because of the antimicrobial properties also associated with the plant, a paste can be made with the leaves and put on insect bites/wounds.

Modern studies were conducted in testing the effectiveness of lowering glucose levels in diabetic rabbits. 6

Traditional African Remedies have used the leaves of this plant as laxatives as the plant is very toxic to both humans and animals. The plant has also been used to cure diabetes.

Accession Data

USDA Zone: 10-11

Accession #: 199000018

Accession Date: 1990-12-31

Bloom Status: 🪴 Not Flowering

Location: 1120

Quantity: 2

Source: Salo

Classification

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Magnoliopsida

Subclass: euasterid I

Order: Gentianales

Family: Apocynaceae

SubFamily: Rauvolfioideae

Tribe: Vinceae

Flowering Data:

This accession has been observed in bloom on:
Year Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
2025
2024
2023
2022
2021
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004

References

  1. The Plant List (2013). Version 1.1. Last accessed on Thursday, February 01, 2018.
  2. WCSP (2015). World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. Facilitated by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Last accessed on Thursday, February 01, 2018.
  3. Catharanthus roseus at Wikipedia. Last accessed on Thursday, February 01, 2018.
  4. Catharanthus roseus at RBG Kew. Last accessed on Thursday, February 01, 2018.
  5. Catharanthus roseus at Plants for a Future. Last accessed on Thursday, February 01, 2018.
  6. Srinivas Nammi, Murthy K Boini, Srinivas D Lodagala and Ravindra Babu S Behara, The juice of fresh leaves of Catharanthus roseus Linn. reduces blood glucose in normal and alloxan diabetic rabbits , BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine, 2003. Last accessed on Thursday, February 01, 2018.

Images

Catharanthus roseus
Catharanthus roseus