| Catharanthus trichophyllus | |
|---|---|
 | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Asterids |
| Order: | Gentianales |
| Family: | Apocynaceae |
| Genus: | Catharanthus |
| Species: | C. trichophyllus |
| Binomial name | |
| Catharanthus trichophyllus | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
Catharanthus trichophyllus is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is endemic to Madagascar, where it is most common in northern regions. [2]
This is a perennial herb growing up to one meter tall. It has an unpleasant scent. It contains a white latex. The stems and branches are squared, winged, and reddish or purplish in color. The oppositely arranged leaves have hairy, pointed oval blades up to 8.5 centimeters long. They are each accompanied by several stipules. Flowers occur singly or in pairs in the leaf axils. The calyx is up to a centimeter long and has five long, narrow lobes. The corolla has a tubular throat over 2 centimeters long opening into five lobes each up to 1.8 centimeters long. The flowers may be white, pink, red, or purple, with yellowish centers. The fruit is a pair of greenish or purplish follicles up to 7 centimeters long. Each contains 10 to 20 seeds. [2]
The species epithet trichophyllus is Latin for 'hairy leaves'. [3]
The plant grows in humid and dry climates [4] in many habitat types, including forest edges and openings, riverbanks, and disturbed areas such as roadsides. [2]
The plant is used in traditional medicine to treat a variety of conditions, including sexually transmitted diseases, impotency, back pain, toothache, fever, dysentery, bleeding, and liver diseases. It is used as a stimulant, an aphrodisiac, and an appetite suppressant. [2]
The plant is a congeneric of the Madagascar periwinkle (C. roseus), the original main source of vinca alkaloids, also known as catharanthus alkaloids, which are still in use today as anticancer drugs. C. trichophyllus contains lower concentrations of such alkaloids. The two species can be hybridized to increase the concentration. [2]
Apocynaceae is a family of flowering plants that includes trees, shrubs, herbs, stem succulents, and vines, commonly known as the dogbane family, because some taxa were used as dog poison. Members of the family are native to the European, Asian, African, Australian, and American tropics or subtropics, with some temperate members. The former family Asclepiadaceae is considered a subfamily of Apocynaceae and contains 348 genera. A list of Apocynaceae genera may be found here.
Catharanthus is a genus of flowering plants in the family Apocynaceae. Like the genus Vinca, they are known commonly as periwinkles. There are eight known species. Seven are endemic to Madagascar, though one, C. roseus, is widely naturalized around the world. The eighth species, C. pusillus, is native to India and Sri Lanka. The name Catharanthus comes from the Greek for "pure flower".
Strychnos nux-vomica, the strychnine tree, also known as nux vomica, poison nut, semen strychnos, and quaker buttons, is a deciduous tree native to India and to southeast Asia. It is a medium-sized tree in the family Loganiaceae that grows in open habitats. Its leaves are ovate and 2–3.5 inches (5.1–8.9 cm) in size.
Adenia is a genus of flowering plants in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is distributed in the Old World tropics and subtropics. The centers of diversity are in Madagascar, eastern and western tropical Africa, and Southeast Asia. The genus name Adenia comes from "aden", reported as the Arabic name for the plant by Peter Forsskål, the author of the genus.
Withania somnifera, known commonly as ashwagandha, Indian ginseng, poison gooseberry, or winter cherry, is a plant in the Solanaceae or nightshade family. Several other species in the genus Withania are morphologically similar. Although thought to be useful as a medicinal herb in Ayurveda, there is no conclusive clinical evidence that it is effective for treating any ailment.
Catharanthus roseus, commonly known as bright eyes, Cape periwinkle, graveyard plant, Madagascar periwinkle, old maid, pink periwinkle, rose periwinkle, is a species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is native and endemic to Madagascar, but grown elsewhere as an ornamental and medicinal plant, a source of the drugs vincristine and vinblastine, used to treat cancer. It was formerly included in the genus Vinca as Vinca rosea.
Gomphocarpus physocarpus, commonly known as hairy balls, balloonplant, balloon cotton-bush, bishop's balls, nailhead, or swan plant, is a species of milkweed. The plant is native to southeast Africa, but it has been widely naturalized. It is often used as an ornamental plant. The name "hairy balls" is an allusion to the swelling testicle-like follicles which are full of seeds.
Cordia myxa is a species of flowering plant in the borage family, Boraginaceae. It is a medium-sized broad-leaved deciduous tree. Common names include Assyrian plum, lasura, pidar, panugeri, naruvilli, geduri, spistan, burgund dulu wanan and ntege. It is found growing primarily in Asia, as well as, across the globe especially in tropical regions having the right type of geophysical environment. In South Asia, it is seen coming up naturally and growing abundantly from Myanmar in the east to Lebanon and Syria in the west. Its habitat starts at about 200 m above mean sea level in the plains and ascends to an altitude around 1,500 m in the hills.
Senna didymobotrya is a species of flowering plant in the legume family known by the common names African senna, popcorn senna, candelabra tree, and peanut butter cassia. It is native to Africa, where it can be found across the continent in several types of habitat.
Silene serpentinicola is a rare species of flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae known by the common name serpentine Indian pink and serpentine catchfly.
Cestrum elegans, the purple cestrum, red cestrum, or bastard jasmine, is a species of flowering plants in the genus Cestrum.
Cirsium parryi, or Parry's thistle, is a species of North American flowering plants in the aster family. It is native to the southwestern United States, where it has been found in Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.
Drosera peruensis is a carnivorous plant of the genus Drosera, commonly known as the Peruvian sundew. This Drosera species was first identified in Peru in 2002 by Tânia Regina dos Santos Silva and Mireya D. Correa following work to update the genus Drosera for the reference text, Flora Neotropica..
Boerhavia erecta, commonly known as the erect spiderling or the erect boerhavia, is one of more than 100 species in the genus Boerhavia L. Boerhavia erecta is native to the United States, Mexico, Central America and western South America, but now is cosmopolitan in tropical and subtropical regions. In Africa its distribution extends from West Africa, eastwards to Somalia and down to South Africa. It has recently been found in parts of Madagascar and Réunion. In Asia, it occurs in India, Java, Malaysia, the Philippines, China and the Ryukyu Islands.
Adenia globosa is a species of flowering plant in the passionflower family, Passifloraceae. It is native to tropical Africa, where it occurs in Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania. It is known as mpaga in Swahili.
Gloriosa superba is a species of flowering plant in the family Colchicaceae. Common names include flame lily, climbing lily, creeping lily, glory lily, gloriosa lily, tiger claw, and fire lily.
Catharanthus lanceus grows as a perennial herb up to 1 metre (3 ft) tall. Its fragrant flowers feature white or cream corolla lobes turning pink, reddish-violet or pink-magenta. Vernacular names for the plant include "lance-leaf periwinkle". Its habitat is on volcanic or burned soil, hillside rocks and in open woodland on ridges. Catharanthus lanceus is found from 750–2,000 metres (2,500–6,600 ft) altitude. The plant is used in local medicinal treatments for toothache, fever and skin diseases, and also as a diuretic. The species is endemic to Madagascar.
Tabernaemontana coffeoides grows as a shrub or small tree up to 10 metres (33 ft) tall, with a trunk diameter of up to 20 centimetres (8 in). Its fragrant flowers feature white corolla lobes. Its habitat is on dunes or on rocks in dry forest, bush or savanna from sea level to 1,300 metres (4,300 ft) altitude. Local medicinal uses include for weight loss and to combat fatigue. Tabernaemontana coffeoides is native to Seychelles, the Comoros and Madagascar. It is also rich in pharmacologically interesting indole alkaloids.
Tabernaemontana elegans, the toad tree, is a shrub or small tree in the family Apocynaceae. It is native to eastern Africa.
Erythrophleum couminga is a species of leguminous tree in the genus Erythrophleum. It is endemic to the western coastal region of Madagascar, occurring in the Baie de Baly National Park. The bark is used in traditional medicine and the branches are used for fencing posts.
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