Madagascar periwinkle

Names and Synonyms

Common Names

• Churchyard Blossom
• Madalena Blanco
• Old Church Blossom
• Old Maids Olleander
• Periwinkle
• Cape periwinkle
• bright-eyes
• graveyardplant
• old-maid
• old-maid-flower
• pink periwinkle
• rose periwinkle
• rosy periwinkle
• Billygoat Weed
• Oldmaid
• Tropical Periwinkle
• White Vinca Flower

Scientific Names

Accepted name

Synonyms

• Ammocallis rosea
• Lochnera rosea
• Pervinca rosea
• Vinca rosea

Regional and Traditional Names

Sources: Wikidata, Catalogue of Life

Taxonomical Classification

This plant belongs to the kingdom Plantae and is classified under the phylum Streptophyta and class Equisetopsida. Within the subclass Magnoliidae, it is ordered under Gentianaales and belongs to the family Apocynaceae. Finally, its specific taxonomic identification is placed within the genus Catharanthus.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Distribution

This plant exhibits a diverse geographical distribution across several distinct regions. In Southwestern Europe, it can be found growing in Spain. Moving toward Southeastern Europe, its presence extends to Italy and the island of Kriti. The species also inhabits Northern Africa, specifically within the territory of Tunisia. Finally, its range reaches the Macaronesian islands, including the Canary Is.

Sources: The World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP)

Botanical Identification

Ecology

The ecology of Catharanthus roseus is characterized by its ability to thrive across a broad altitudinal gradient, ranging from sea level (0 m AMSL) up to elevations of 2000 m AMSL. While specific primary habitat classifications are often denoted as unknown or variable (?), the species typically occupies diverse environments within its native range, demonstrating significant adaptability to varying topographical pressures. This wide elevational range suggests a robust physiological capacity to tolerate different temperature regimes and atmospheric pressures, allowing it to colonize both lowland coastal regions and higher montane zones.

Elevational range max:

2000 m AMSL

Elevational range min:

0 m AMSL

Habitat :

(?)

Genetics

The genetics of Catharanthus roseus are characterized by a variable chromosomal makeup, with documented chromosome numbers occurring at 16, 24, and 32. These variations in chromosome counts suggest a complex evolutionary history involving polyploidy or chromosomal rearrangements within different accessions or populations. Despite these variations in total number, the species is fundamentally identified with a diploid ploidy level of 2, indicating that the genetic architecture is organized around two sets of chromosomes. This chromosomal plasticity is a significant factor in the plant's genetic diversity, influencing its physiological adaptability and the metabolic pathways responsible for the biosynthesis of its specialized secondary metabolites.

Chromosome number :

16, 24, 32

Ploidy :

2

Life history

The life history of Catharanthus roseus is characterized by its status as a perennial species, allowing it to persist through multiple growing seasons. In terms of its structural growth and survival strategies, the plant exhibits complex life forms depending on its environmental conditions and developmental stage, manifesting as both a phanerophyte, where its buds are elevated well above the ground on woody stems, and a chamaephyte, where its buds are held close to the soil surface. This dual capacity for different growth habits enables the plant to adapt to various ecological niches and seasonal shifts throughout its long-term life cycle.

Life form :

chamaephyte

Life form :

phanerophyte

Lifecycle :

perennial

Morphology

Morphologically, Catharanthus roseus is characterized as a terrestrial, non-woody herb that functions as a self-supporting plant rather than a climber or liana. It exhibits an independent life cycle, lacking parasitic tendencies, and grows exclusively in terrestrial environments rather than as an epiphyte or aquatic species. The plant's stature is relatively low, with a height that typically ranges from a minimum of 0.3 m to a maximum of 0.8 m, maintaining an average plant height of approximately 0.65 m.

Aquatic :

terrestrial

Climber :

self-supporting

Epiphyte :

terrestrial

Growth form :

herb

Parasite :

independent

Plant height max:

0.8 m

Plant height mean:

0.65 m

Plant height min:

0.3 m

Woodiness :

non-woody

Physiology

The physiology of Catharanthus roseus is characterized by a C3 photosynthetic pathway, reflecting its metabolic approach to carbon fixation. The plant exhibits a non-succulent structure and does not function as a nitrogen fixer. Its foliar morphology is defined by an opposite leaf arrangement, featuring elliptic leaf forms. The dimensions of the leaves vary, with a mean length of 3.5 cm (ranging from a minimum of 2.5 cm to a maximum of 8 cm) and a mean width of 1.8 cm (ranging from a minimum of 1 cm to a maximum of 5 cm).

Leaf arrangement :

opposite

Leaf form :

elliptic

Leaf length max:

8 cm

Leaf length mean:

3.5 cm

Leaf length min:

2.5 cm

Leaf width max:

5 cm

Leaf width mean:

1.8 cm

Leaf width min:

1 cm

Nitrogen fixer :

no

Photosynthetic pathway :

C3

Succulence :

no

Reproduction

The reproductive cycle of Catharanthus roseus is characterized by a versatile flowering period that typically commences in April and continues through October, though it can be variable throughout the year. The plant produces pink flowers that utilize biotic pollination syndromes, specifically attracting insects such as butterflies to facilitate the reproductive process. Self-fertilization is present within the species, ensuring reproductive success. Following pollination, the plant develops fruit in the form of a follicle, with lengths ranging from a minimum of 1.5 cm to a maximum of 2.5 cm. Each follicle is prolific, containing between 11 and 100 seeds. The seeds themselves are quite small, with a mean length of approximately 1.9 mm (ranging from 1.9 mm to 2 mm) and a mean mass of 0.001425 g (varying between 0.00135 g and 0.0015 g). Dispersal of these seeds follows an unspecialized syndrome, though the species also exhibits anthropochorous dispersal patterns, meaning it can be spread through human activity.

Dispersal syndrome :

unspecialized

Dispersal syndrome :

anthropochorous

Flower colour :

pink

Flowering time :

Apr

Flowering time :

Oct

Fruit length max:

2.5 cm

Fruit length min:

1.5 cm

Fruit type :

follicle

Pollination syndrome :

insect

Pollination syndrome :

butterfly

Pollination syndrome :

biotic

Seed length max:

2 mm

Seed length mean:

1.9 mm

Seed mass max:

0.0015 g

Seed mass mean:

0.001425 g

Seed mass min:

0.00135 g

Seeds_per_fruit :

11-100

Self fertilization :

present

Sources: Global Inventory of Floras and Traits (GIFT)

Plant Parts

Catharanthus roseus has 6 reported plant parts identified across 104 scientific publications and several other databases that are studied for medicinal purposes. The most consistently reported plant part include leaf, root, stem, flower, seed.

Leaf

1. Protoplasma
2. Journal of experimental botany
3. Physiologia plantarum
4. Nature chemical biology
5. Journal of the American Chemical Society

Root

1. Colloids and surfaces. B, Biointerfaces
2. Nature chemical biology
3. Journal of the American Chemical Society
4. Biotechnology and bioengineering
5. Journal of natural products

Stem

1. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
2. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
3. Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine
4. BMC plant biology
5. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM

Flower

1. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)
3. Analytical chemistry
4. ACS applied materials & interfaces
5. Applied biochemistry and biotechnology

Seed

1. Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine
2. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
3. Pakistan journal of pharmaceutical sciences
4. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM
5. Research in veterinary science

Fruit

1. Applied radiation and isotopes : including data, instrumentation and methods for use in agriculture, industry and medicine

Chemicals

Catharanthus roseus has 218 reported phytochemicals identified across 104 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported chemicals include vinblastine, vincristine, Vindoline, Catharanthine, Ajmalicine.

vinblastine

1. Dr. Duke
2. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
3. Journal of separation science
4. Protoplasma
5. Angewandte Chemie (International ed. in English)

vincristine

1. Dr. Duke
2. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
3. Protoplasma
4. Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB
5. Current medicinal chemistry

Vindoline

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of separation science
3. Indian journal of biochemistry & biophysics
4. Physiologia plantarum
5. Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM

Catharanthine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of separation science
3. Indian journal of biochemistry & biophysics
4. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
5. Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM

Ajmalicine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Applied microbiology and biotechnology
3. Indian journal of biochemistry & biophysics
4. Colloids and surfaces. B, Biointerfaces
5. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America

Serpentine

1. Dr. Duke
2. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
3. Applied microbiology and biotechnology
4. Journal of bioscience and bioengineering
5. Pharmaceutical biology

Terpenoid Indole Alkaloids

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
2. Plant direct
3. Genomics data
4. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)

Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloids

1. Metabolic engineering
2. World journal of microbiology & biotechnology
3. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)
4. Phytochemistry
5. Molecular biology reports

Tabersonine

1. Applied microbiology and biotechnology
2. Pharmaceutical biology
3. Planta
4. Phytochemistry
5. The Plant journal : for cell and molecular biology

Flavonoids

1. Biologia futura
2. BMC complementary and alternative medicine
3. Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB
4. Plants (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Archives of dermatological research

Activities

Catharanthus roseus has 361 reported activities identified across 104 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported activities include Anticancer, Antimicrobial, Antineoplastic, Antidiabetic, Antihypertensive.

Anticancer

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of separation science
3. Protoplasma
4. Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB
5. Current medicinal chemistry

Antimicrobial

1. Recent patents on anti-infective drug discovery
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Current topics in medicinal chemistry
4. 3 Biotech
5. Biomolecules

Antineoplastic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)
3. Journal of experimental botany
4. Pharmaceutical biology
5. Protoplasma

Antidiabetic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
4. Protoplasma
5. 3 Biotech

Antihypertensive

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
3. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
4. Bioprocess and biosystems engineering
5. Plant physiology and biochemistry : PPB

Antitumor

1. Dr. Duke
2. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America
3. Pharmaceutical biology
4. TheScientificWorldJournal
5. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)

Antioxidant

1. Dr. Duke
2. Journal of ethnopharmacology
3. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM
4. Food and chemical toxicology : an international journal published for the British Industrial Biological Research Association
5. Cureus

Cytotoxic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Molecular biology reports
3. BMC complementary medicine and therapies

Anthelmintic

1. Dr. Duke
2. Research in veterinary science

Antifeedant

1. Dr. Duke
2. 3 Biotech

Conditions

Catharanthus roseus has 84 reported investigations on conditions identified across 104 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported conditions include cancer, hypertension, antineoplastic, antihypertensive, breast cancer.

Cancer

1. Australian family physician
2. Frontiers in immunology
3. Journal of experimental botany
4. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)
5. Journal of ethnopharmacology

Hypertension

1. Planta medica
2. Biotechnology and applied biochemistry
3. PloS one
4. African journal of traditional, complementary, and alternative medicines : AJTCAM
5. BMC biotechnology

Antineoplastic

1. Methods in molecular biology (Clifton, N.J.)
2. Journal of experimental botany
3. Protoplasma
4. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
5. Journal, genetic engineering & biotechnology

Antihypertensive

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
3. Bioprocess and biosystems engineering
4. Planta
5. Plant cell reports

Breast cancer

1. Nanotechnology
2. Molecular biology reports
3. Anti-cancer agents in medicinal chemistry
4. BMC complementary medicine and therapies
5. Cureus

Antidiabetic

1. Molecules (Basel, Switzerland)
2. Protoplasma
3. 3 Biotech

Malaria

1. Journal of ethnopharmacology
2. Biotechnology letters
3. Tropical biomedicine

Diabetes mellitus

1. TheScientificWorldJournal
2. Cureus

Diabetes mellitus

1. Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM
2. Diabetes research (Edinburgh, Scotland)

Infectious diseases

1. Toxicology reports
2. Open life sciences

Preparations

Catharanthus roseus has 76 reported preparations identified across 104 scientific publications and several other databases. The most consistently reported preparations include extract, leaf extract, Catharanthus roseus extract, crude alkaloid extract, crude extracts.

Extract

1. Current drug research reviews
2. Saudi journal of biological sciences
3. Cureus

Leaf extract

1. Cureus
2. Chemosphere
3. BioMed research international

Catharanthus roseus extract

1. Cureus
2. Toxicology reports

Crude alkaloid extract

1. Protoplasma
2. Journal of chromatography. B, Biomedical applications

Crude extracts

1. Journal of pharmaceutical and biomedical analysis
2. BioMed research international

Ethanolic extracts

1. Rapid communications in mass spectrometry : RCM
2. Fitoterapia

Hairy roots

1. Biotechnology and bioengineering
2. BMC plant biology

Leaves

1. Zhongguo Zhong yao za zhi = Zhongguo zhongyao zazhi = China journal of Chinese materia medica
2. Analytical chemistry

Whole plants

1. Planta medica
2. Fitoterapia

C. roseus cells

1. Biotechnology progress