Graceful perennial herb, 30-80 cm. high. Stems pinkish-red, much-branched. Leaves opposite, obovate, glabrous on both sides, dark shining above.
Apocynaceae
Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don
Local names:
English names:
Madagascar periwinkle, red periwinkle, pink periwinkle, rosy-flowered Indian periwinkle, Cape periwinkle, old maid.
Description:
Graceful perennial herb, 30-80 cm. high. Stems pinkish-red, much-branched. Leaves opposite, obovate, glabrous on both sides, dark shining above. Flowers pink or white in the axil of the leaves. Follicle cylindrical, narrow, slightly arched-recurved in pairs; seeds numerous, tiny, blackish-brown.
Flowering period:
May - October.
Distribution:
Common wild plant in coastal areas and is cultivated as an ornamental plant.
Parts used:
Leaves, harvested before flowering. They are used fresh or sun-dried.
Chemical composition:
The leaves contain alkaloids: serpentine, ajmaline, ajmalicine, catharanthine, catharanthinole, vindoline, vindolinine, vincaleucoblastine, leurosidine, vincristine.
Therapeutic uses:
The leaves are useful in treating oliguria, haematuria, diabetes mellitus and menstrual disorders, in a daily dose of 4 to 8g as a decoction or liquid extract. The roots and the leaves in the form of a decoction or extract are active on hypertension. The purified alkaloids extracted from the leaves are effective in treating leukaemia, and those from the roots are used to induce cerebrovascular dilatation and for hypertension.