Other popular names:
Also called in Creole Kaka poul or Zèb a sosyé in the French Antilles and
Guillemette, Bitter Rose, Vinca in Reunion and Saponaria, Periwinkle in
Mauritius.

Scientific name:
Catharanthus roseus

Family :
Apocynaceae

Description :
It is an evergreen shrub or herbaceous plant, with an unpleasant odor,
which can measure up to 1 m in height.


The leaves are entire, ovate to oblong, 2.5–9 cm long and 1–3.5 cm wide, glossy green, glabrous, with a pale midrib and a short petiole 1–2 cm long; they are arranged in opposite pairs.

The flowers are white to dark pink with a dark red centre, with a basal tube 2.5–3 cm long and a very narrow corolla tube 20–30 mm, 2–5 cm in diameter, with five spreading, petal-like lobes. Flowering is throughout the year.

The fruit is a pair of pubescent follicles, 2 to 4 cm long and 3 mm wide.

Location :
This endemic species of Madagascar grows in both humid and dry, almost arid areas, from sea level to 1,500 meters above sea level. It is found in meadows, crops, open forests and along roads.

It is currently cultivated and naturalized in the tropics.

Parts used:
The aerial parts of the Madagascar periwinkle contain 0.2 to 1% alkaloids. The compounds of pharmacological interest are alkaloids formed by the coupling of two monomeric alkaloids, an indole and a dihydroindole. 71 different alkaloids have been isolated, including vincristine, vinblastine, leurosidine, etc. Their complexity has not yet allowed them to be synthesized in the laboratory. The leaves are also very rich in acid-phenols (96% 5-O-caffeoylquinic acid) and flavonoids.

The dried root contains ajmalicine, an antihypertensive molecule used to improve brain function in the elderly.

Plantation:
It prefers full sun and well-drained soil. Many cultivars have been selected, for variations in flower color (white, mauve, peach, red, and scarlet-orange), and also for their tolerance to colder growing conditions in temperate regions. Cultivars include 'Albus' (white flowers), 'Grape Cooler' (pink; cold tolerant), Ocellatus Group (various colors), and 'Peppermint Cooler' (white with a red center; cold tolerant).

History
The species was described by the Swedish naturalist Carl von Linné in 1759, under the initial name Vinca rosea. Revised by the British botanist George Don in 1837 who classified it in the genus Catharanthus.

Use :
This plant is used for therapeutic purposes and as an ornamental plant.

Contraindications:
The plant can be dangerous if consumed orally. It can be hallucinogenic, and is listed (under its synonym Vinca rosea) in Louisiana State Act 159. Like most molecules with antitumor activity, the binary alkaloids of Madagascar periwinkle have high toxicity.

Other uses:
As an ornamental plant, it is popular in tropical and subtropical gardens where temperatures never fall below 5 to 7 °C. Valued for its resistance to arid and poor soil, it is also known for its long flowering period, throughout the year in tropical climatic conditions, and from spring to late autumn in warm temperate climates.

- Image source:
Kenraiz / CC BY-SA
- Vertical image source:
Taken by Fanghong / CC BY-SA
- Content source:
Content is licensed under CC-BY-SA . Source: Article Periwinkle of Madagascar from Wikipedia in French ( authors )