''Catharanthus'' is a
genus
Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus com ...
of
flowering plant
Flowering plants are plants that bear flowers and fruits, and form the clade Angiospermae (), commonly called angiosperms. The term "angiosperm" is derived from the Greek words ('container, vessel') and ('seed'), and refers to those plants th ...
s in the family
Apocynaceae
Apocynaceae (from ''Apocynum'', Greek for "dog-away") is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison Members of the ...
. Like the genus ''
Vinca
''Vinca'' (; Latin: ''vincire'' "to bind, fetter") is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae, native to Europe, northwest Africa and southwest Asia. The English name periwinkle is shared with the related genus ''Catharanthus'' (an ...
'', they are known commonly as periwinkles. There are eight known species. Seven are
endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...
to
Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no, ; french: République de Madagascar), is an island country in the Indian Ocean, approximately off the coast of East Africa ...
,
[''Catharanthus''.]
Madagascar Catalogue. eFloras. though one, ''C. roseus'', is widely naturalized around the world.
[ The eighth species, ''C. pusillus'', is native to ]India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. The name ''Catharanthus'' comes from the Greek
Greek may refer to:
Greece
Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe:
*Greeks, an ethnic group.
*Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family.
**Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...
for "pure flower".[''Catharanthus''.]
The Jepson eFlora 2013.
These are perennial herbs with oppositely or almost oppositely arranged leaves. Flowers are usually solitary in the leaf axils. Each has a calyx with five long, narrow lobes and a corolla with a tubular throat and five lobes.[
''Catharanthus roseus'', known formerly as ''Vinca rosea'', is a main source of ''vinca'' alkaloids, now sometimes called catharanthus alkaloids. The plant produces about 130 of these compounds, including ]vinblastine
Vinblastine (VBL), sold under the brand name Velban among others, is a chemotherapy medication, typically used with other medications, to treat a number of types of cancer. This includes Hodgkin's lymphoma, non-small cell lung cancer, bladder ca ...
and vincristine
Vincristine, also known as leurocristine and marketed under the brand name Oncovin among others, is a chemotherapy medication used to treat a number of types of cancer. This includes acute lymphocytic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, Hodgkin's ...
, two drugs used to treat cancer.
''Catharanthus roseus'' is also cultivated as an ornamental plant
Ornamental plants or garden plants are plants that are primarily grown for their beauty but also for qualities such as scent or how they shape physical space. Many flowering plants and garden varieties tend to be specially bred cultivars that i ...
in gardens. Several cultivar
A cultivar is a type of cultivated plant that people have selected for desired traits and when propagated retain those traits. Methods used to propagate cultivars include: division, root and stem cuttings, offsets, grafting, tissue culture, ...
s have been bred to produce flowers in many shades of pink, red, lilac, and white, or in light shades with dark throats.''Catharanthus roseus''.
Missouri Botanical Garden.
;Species[
# '']Catharanthus coriaceus
''Catharanthus coriaceus'' is a species of flowering plant in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. It is endemic to Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links=no ...
'' Markgr. – Madagascar
# ''Catharanthus lanceus
''Catharanthus lanceus'' grows as a perennial herb up to tall. Its fragrant flowers feature white or cream corolla lobes turning pink, reddish-violet or pink-magenta. Vernacular names for the plant include "lance-leaf periwinkle". Its habitat i ...
'' (Bojer ex A.DC.) Pichon – Madagascar
# ''Catharanthus longifolius
''Catharanthus longifolius'' is a species of flowering plant in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. It is endemic to Madagascar
Madagascar (; mg, Madagasikara, ), officially the Republic of Madagascar ( mg, Repoblikan'i Madagasikara, links= ...
'' (Pichon) Pichon – Madagascar
# ''Catharanthus ovalis
''Catharanthus ovalis'' is a species of flowering plant in the dogbane family, Apocynaceae. It is endemic to Madagascar.
First published as a species in 1970, several subspecies or varieties have been proposed, however none are now recognized. T ...
'' Markgr. – Madagascar
# ''Catharanthus pusillus
''Catharanthus pusillus'', commonly known as the tiny periwinkle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is native to India and Sri Lanka.
References
pusillus
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