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Taxon  Report  
Catharanthus roseus  (L.) G. Don
Madagascar periwinkle
Catharanthus roseus is a shrub (stem succulent) that is not native to California.
There is a high risk of this plant becoming invasive in California according to Cal-IPC.
Siskiyou Del Norte Modoc Humboldt Shasta Lassen Trinity Plumas Tehama Butte Mendocino Glenn Sierra Yuba Lake Nevada Colusa Placer Sutter El Dorado Yolo Alpine Napa Sonoma Sacramento Mono Amador Solano Calaveras Tuolumne San Joaquin Marin Contra Costa Alameda Santa Cruz Mariposa Madera San Francisco San Mateo Merced Fresno Stanislaus Santa Clara Inyo San Benito Tulare Kings Monterey San Bernardino San Luis Obispo Kern Santa Barbara Ventura Los Angeles Riverside Orange San Diego Imperial
Observation Search
~6 records in California
redone or more occurrences
within a 7.5-minute quadrangle
Genus: Catharanthus
Family: Apocynaceae  
Category: angiosperm  
PLANTS group:Dicot
Jepson eFlora section: eudicot

Wetlands: Occurs in non wetlands
Name Status:
Accepted by JEF + PLANTS

Alternate Names:
PLANTSAmmocallis rosea
PLANTSLochnera rosea
JEF + PLANTSVinca rosea
Information about  Catharanthus roseus from other sources

[Wikipedia] Madagascar native: Catharanthus roseus, commonly known as bright eyes, Cape periwinkle, graveyard plant, Madagascar periwinkle, old maid, pink periwinkle, rose periwinkle,[2] is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is native and endemic to Madagascar, but grown elsewhere as an ornamental and medicinal plant. It is a source of the drugs vincristine and vinblastine, used to treat cancer.[3] It was formerly included in the genus Vinca as Vinca rosea. (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)

[Cal-IPC] Invasive: Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar periwinkle) is a herb/ (family Apocynaceae) with pink flowers and oval shaped leaves found in the south coast and desert ranges of California. It is native to Madagascar. It favors dunes, grasslands, and scrub and chaparral habitat. It spreads via seeds and is easily cultivated. Seeds are dispersed by ants, water, wind and dumped garden waste. Cal-IPC Rating: Watch (contributed by Mary Ann Machi)


Suggested Citation
Calflora: Information on California plants for education, research and conservation, with data contributed by public and private institutions and individuals. [web application]. 2024. Berkeley, California: The Calflora Database [a non-profit organization]. Available: https://www.calflora.org/   (Accessed: 04/19/2024).