Rose periwinkle - Catharanthus roseus

Common Name :	Madagascar periwinkle, Rose periwinkle.
Botanical Name :	Catharanthus roseus
Botanical Name :	Vinca rosea
Family :	Apocynaceae
Bengali Name :	Noyon tara, Nayan tara.
Photo Taken :	Bangladesh

Rose periwinkle (or Rosy periwinkle)is a scentless small flower. The plant type is herb. This is from the plant family Apocynaceae. Botanical name of this plant is Catharanthus roseus a synonym of Vinca rosea. This flower is indigenous to Madagascar and known as Madagascar Periwinkle. In Bangladesh this plant is known as Noyon tara.





Rose periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) is a shrubby-herbaceous perennial plant produces flower more or less every season. Plant grows up to 1-2 feet in height. Leafs are glossy and oppositely arranged around the stem. Shape of the leaf is elliptic. Plant can grow as a bush and doesn't require that much care. That's why it later spread into many other part of the world.





I've seen two colors of Rose periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) flower, pink and white. Pink flower has red spot at the middle of the flower. This evergreen plant produces plenty of flowers at a time. Flowers have five petals and they are showy. It uses to spread by the dispersing of seeds through ants, birds, wind, and water. Also it is possible to grow this plant from the root.





This plant can be poisonous if ingested. You'll find that no grazing animals eating this plant, so it can grow freely. Despite of its obnoxious factor, this plant is using for cancer treatments. Also, interestingly this beautiful flower plant is pointed as an invasive weed inside garden at some part of USA and Australia











Photos of Rose periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) were taken from the following locations of Bangladesh. In Bangla the flower is known as Noyon tara ful (নয়ন তারা ফুল).
1. July 2011: Rangamati.
2. September 2011: Rangamati.


This article has written by Lonely Traveler,
for the blog http://icflora.blogspot.com/