Madagascar Periwinkle

At a glance

Origin / distribution: Kurdistan, Trinidad, India, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Madagascar, Philippines, South Africa(Natal)

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Bactericide, Cancer, Cardiotonic, Catarrh

Science studied: ADENOSINE, AJMALICINE, AKUAMMICINE, ALSTONINE

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Apocynaceae

Scientific name: Catharanthus roseus

Common names: Madagascar Periwinkle, Rosy Periwinkle, Adorna patio, Alegria, Begraafplaasblom, Besitos, Billygoat Weed, Cangrejera, Cape periwinkle, Catalana, Catharanthe rose, Pervenche de Madagascar, Catharanthe rose, Rose amère, Guillemette, Pervenche de Madagascar, Chabelita, Church flower, Churchyard Blossom, Coneja, Desbarata casamiento, Dừa cạn, Espanta novia, Flor boba, Flor de todo el afio

POWO: 77880-1 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in Elsewhere, Kurdistan, Trinidad, India, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Madagascar, Philippines and 12 additional places.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Bactericide
• Cancer
• Cardiotonic
• Catarrh
• Ceguera
• Chest-Cold
• Cold
• Depurative

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• Elsewhere
• Kurdistan
• Trinidad
• India
• Dominican Republic
• Bahamas
• Madagascar
• Philippines
• South Africa(Natal)
• English
• Honduras
• Haiti

Documented cultural uses

• Bactericide
• Cancer
• Cardiotonic
• Catarrh
• Ceguera
• Chest-Cold
• Cold
• Depurative
• Diabetes
• Emetic
• Emmenagogue
• Gargle

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Bactericide · Elsewhere · "
• Cancer · Kurdistan · "
• Cancer · Elsewhere · "
• Cancer · Trinidad · "
• Cardiotonic · India · "
• Catarrh · Dominican Republic · "
• Ceguera · Dominican Republic · "
• Chest-Cold · Bahamas · "
• Cold · Bahamas · "
• Depurative · Madagascar · "
• Diabetes · Philippines · "
• Diabetes · South Africa(Natal) · "
• Diabetes · Trinidad · "
• Diabetes · English · "
• Diabetes · Elsewhere · "
• Emetic · Dominican Republic · "
• Emmenagogue · Philippines · "
• Gargle · Honduras · "
• Glycosuria · Elsewhere · "
• Hemostat · Haiti · "
• Hemostat · Madagascar · "
• Hyperglycemia · Elsewhere · "
• Hyperglycemia · Trinidad · "
• Hypertension · Elsewhere · "

39 additional documented entries remain in the source record.

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Two purine permeases import vinblastine biosynthetic intermediates into idioblast cells in Catharanthus roseus. · 2026 source ↗
• Combined Fungal Elicitor and Methyl Jasmonate Enhance Alkaloid Accumulation in Catharanthus roseus Suspension Cultures: An Integrated Molecular and Phytochemical Study · 2026 source ↗
• In silico structural characterization of the geranyl pyrophosphate synthase (GPPS) large subunit from Catharanthus roseus. · 2026 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• ADENOSINE
• AJMALICINE
• AKUAMMICINE
• ALSTONINE
• BANNUCINE
• L-(+)-BORNESITOL
• CAROSIDINE
• CAROSINE
• CAROTENE
• CATHARICINE
• CATHAROSINE
• CAVINCINE
• CHOLINE
• DEACETYLVINDOLINE
• DEOXYLOGANIN
• DIHYDROSITSIRIKINE

Legality

No exact international trade listing was returned by the CITES checklist for this accepted name. Country-specific law is not assessed here.

Consult the CITES species checklist for current international and national requirements.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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