Periwinkle, a subshrub of the genus Periwinkle in the Apocynaceae family. The whole plant of Catharanthus roseus is hairless or only slightly hairy, slightly branched, nearly square in shape, striped, and gray-green; the leaves are membranous, obovate-oblong; the flowers are red, purple, pink, white, and yellow. Various colors, cymes axillary or terminal; seeds black, oblong and cylindrical; flowering and fruiting periods are almost year-round. [17] "Qingdao Chinese Herbal Medicine Manual" mentioned that because of its long flowering period and continuous blooming from spring to late autumn, it was named periwinkle.
Periwinkle is native to eastern Africa and is now cultivated in various tropical and subtropical regions. In China, it is cultivated in southwest, south-central and east China provinces and regions; [19] prefers high temperature, high humidity, and semi-shade environments , intolerant of severe cold, avoid moisture and waterlogging, can be cultivated in general soil, but saline-alkali soil is not suitable, sandy or humus-rich soil with good drainage, ventilation and ventilation is better. Catharanthus roseus is mostly propagated by sowing, but it can also be propagated by cuttings, but the growth potential of seedlings propagated by cuttings is not as strong as that of sown seedlings.
Periwinkle has the effects of detoxifying, anti-cancer, clearing away heat and calming the liver, and can be used to treat high blood pressure, cancer, tumors, leukemia, etc.
According to modern scientific research, more than 100 alkaloids are extracted from periwinkle. Among them, vinblastine and vincristine have certain effects on the treatment of various cancers and childhood acute leukemia, and are the most commonly used anti-cancer botanical sources in the world. Catharanthus roseus is a plant in the family Apocynaceae. The white latex that flows out when its stems and leaves are broken is highly toxic and should not be eaten by mistake. When the periwinkle blooms, its flowers are large and beautiful, which always reminds people of good things, so the flower language of periwinkle is a happy memory.