Uses of the Madagascar Periwinkle

-
Despite its name, the Madagascar periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus madagascariensis) is believed to be native to Central America, specifically the Caribbean. A widely used garden plant, the Madagascar periwinkle is especially useful as covering plant by growing them in large numbers around other plants, particularly those with larger flowers.

Madagascar periwinkle, Rosy periwinkle, Catharantus roseus
Periwinkle flowers

However, it is in medicine that the Madagascar periwinkle as been proven highly beneficial.  In many tropical countries including those in Africa, Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent, this plant is utilized in traditional medicine to cure various ailments like heart condition, diabetes, indigestion and toothache. More importantly, modern medicine has been using the alkaloids extracted from the Madagascar periwinkle to treat certain types of cancer. It is so effective to the extent that the chance of surviving some form of cancer such as pediatric leukemia has increased dramatically.

The Madagascar periwinkle is a shrubby plant, which can grow up to 0.5 m in height. Aside from its flower, the dark green, oppositely arranged leaves characterizes this plant. The five-petalled flowers are held at the end of the branch, reaching 5 cm in diameter. The Madagascar periwinkle generally needs a large amount of sunlight and well-drained soil, but it is a hardy plant and can survive well in harsh environment such as beaches as well as places that frequently experience water shortage.

Labels

plants insects birds flower reptiles video birding rainforest medicinal plants rainforest animals
tropical fruit invasive species fruit hemiptera lizard Agamids animal camouflage mammals spider adaptation antenna arachnid butterfly camouflage insect camouflage insect mouthparts insect parts migrant birds nest poisonous plant predator reptile pictures snakes traditional medicine Cattle Egret Melastomataceae ants bird behaviour bird nest biting mouthparts cicada cuckoo damselfly doves draco lizard egret flying dragon ginger gliding lizards grasshopper heron insect adaptation invasive trees mangrove forest moth otter proboscis rainforest plants shrike simple eyes sucking mouthparts vivipary waterbird African Tulip Tree Ardea purpurea Asian fruits Asplenium Baya Weaver Beehive Ginger Bird's Nest Fern Black Bat Flower Black-naped Oriole Blattodea Bougainvillea Brown Shrike Butorides striatus Calotes versicolor Carica papaya Cat's Eye Fruit Cat's Whiskers Catclaw Mimosa Ceasarweed Centropus sinensis Cinnamon Bittern Clidemia hirta Colubridae Common Myna Congo Jute Coral swirl Dicranopteris linearis Dilleneaceae Dillenia Diptera Dollarbird Durians Durio zibethinus Dusky Langur Dusky Leaf Monkey Egretta garzetta Eurylaimidae Ficus Formicidae Garcinia mangostana Ghost's Foot Giant False Sensitive Mimosa Green Crested Lizard Ground Orchids Halcyon smyrnensis Hesperiidae Indian Rhododendron Indian mulberry Javan Myna Koster's Curse Lanius Lantana camara Lepidoptera Little Egret Little Heron Macaranga tree Madagascar periwinkle Melastoma malabathricum Mimosa diplotricha Mimosa invisa Mimosa pigra Mimosa pudica Morinda citrifolia Nephelium lappaceum Odonates Oecophylla Orchidae Oriental Roller Plantain Squirrel Plumed Egret Pterophoridae Rafflesia Rambutan Rambutan tree Rosy periwinkle Rubiaceae Sensitive Plant Shrubby Simpoh Spathodea campanulata Spathoglottis plicata Stachytarpheta Striped Bronzeback Tacca chantrieri Trevesia Urena lobata Varanus Water Hyacinth White-breasted Kingfisher White-breasted Waterhen White-throated Kingfisher Zingiber amphibians aphids aquatic plant asssassin bug banana flower banana musa barbet barn swallow bee bee flowers behaviour bird call bird foraging bird pollinated flowers bittern broadbills bufonidae bug bulbul bulbul pictures butcher bird castor bean castor oil caterpillar cauliflorous cauliflory chemoreception clavate antenna cockroach colubrid compound eyes costus speciosus crab spider crane fly cricket crow pheasant crypsis detrivore dove call dove song dragonfly ecdysis egret or heron epiphyte essential oil etlingera exoskeleton of an insect falconet fern fern plant ferns fiddler crab figs firefly fishtail palm fly frog fungi gardening gastropod gerridae ginger flower greater coucal harvestmen horticulture huntsman spider hydrophyte hymenoptera image of birds incomplete metamorphosis insect growth insect life cycle insect nymph insect vision introduced species jackfruit jacobson's organ jumping spider katydid kingfisher ladybug lampyridae langur larvae leafbird leafhopper leguminosae lilac long-tailed shrike longan lynx spider macaque malkoha malvaceae mango mango cultivars mangosteen mangrove ecosystem mangrove trees mangroves meliponines millipede mimicry molting molting lizard monitor lizard moulting process mudskipper mushroom mutualism nectar nephila non-venomous snake noni nonnative alien species nonnative species nonvenomous snakes nursery web spider ocelli ommatidia orb weaver orb weaving spider orchid oriole orthoptera ovipositor painted bronzeback palms papaya papaya fruit parasitic plant parasitoid passiflora passion flower passion vine pawpaw pectinate antenna pest pest birds pet birds pigeons pioneer species plant fiber plume pollination pollinators porterweed praying mantis preening primate puddling pycnonotus rails rainforest lizard ranidae raptor red-tailed rat snake reduviidae resin robber fly root shrubs skinks skipper snail snakeweed spider web spores squirrel suboscines succession sunning symbiotic relationship tiger shrike toad tortoise beetle tree snake treehopper tropical rainforest urban birds venomous snake vipers wasp water strider weaver ants weaver bird white white egrets wings zingiberaceae zygodactyl feet
Show more