Catharanthus
Catharanthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae. Like the genus Vinca, they are known commonly as periwinkles. It is a perennial herb and a subshrub endemic to Madagascar, with the exception of Catharanthus pusillus (commonly known as the tiny periwinkle), which is found in India and Sri Lanka. The most widely known species is Catharanthus roseus due to its usage in traditional and modern medicine, specifically as a source of cancer-treating alkaloid chemicals.
Species
GENUS
- KingdomPlantae
- PhylumTracheophyta
- ClassMagnoliopsida
- OrderGentianales
- FamilyApocynaceae
Native toIndia, Madagascar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, West Himalaya
via GBIF · Kew POWO
Research
1,791 papers- Engineering Catharanthus roseus monoterpenoid indole alkaloid pathway in yeast.Applied microbiology and biotechnology · 2022
- More than a Catharanthus plant: A multicellular and pluri-organelle alkaloid-producing factory.Current opinion in plant biology · 2022
- Biotechnological advancements in Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don.
Article
8 sectionsContents
- Description
- Taxonomy
- Species
- Distribution and habitat
- Uses
- Gallery
- References
- External links
Catharanthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae. Like the genus Vinca, they are known commonly as periwinkles. It is a perennial herb and a subshrub endemic to Madagascar, with the exception of Catharanthus pusillus (commonly known as the tiny periwinkle), which is found in India and Sri Lanka. The most widely known species is Catharanthus roseus due to its usage in traditional and modern medicine, specifically as a source of cancer-treating alkaloid chemicals.
thumb|Catharanthus pusillus thumb|Catharanthus lanceus