Catharanthus roseus (Madagascar periwinkle)
Index
- Pictures
- Identity
- Summary of Invasiveness
- Taxonomic Tree
- Notes on Taxonomy and Nomenclature
- Description
- Plant Type
- Distribution
- Distribution Table
- History of Introduction and Spread
- Risk of Introduction
- Habitat
- Habitat List
- Host Plants and Other Plants Affected
- Biology and Ecology
- Climate
- Air Temperature
- Rainfall
- Soil Tolerances
- Notes on Natural Enemies
- Means of Movement and Dispersal
- Pathway Causes
- Pathway Vectors
- Impact Summary
- Environmental Impact
- Risk and Impact Factors
- Uses
- Uses List
- References
- Contributors
- Distribution Maps
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Top of pagePreferred Scientific Name
- Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don
Preferred Common Name
- Madagascar periwinkle
Other Scientific Names
- Ammocallis rosea (L.) Small
- Catharanthus roseus var. albus G. Don
- Catharanthus roseus var. roseus
- Hottonia littoralis Lour.
- Lachnea rosea (L.) Rchb.
- Lochnera rosea (L.) Rchb.
- Lochnera rosea var. alba (G. Don) Hubbard
- Lochnera rosea var. flava Tsiang
- Pervinca rosea (L.) Gaterau
- Pervinca rosea (L.) Moench
- Vinca gulielmi-waldemarii Klotzsch
- Vinca rosea L.
- Vinca rosea var. alba (G. Don) Sweet
- Vinca rosea var. albiflora (G. Don) Sweet
- Vinca rosea var. albiflora Bertol.
International Common Names
- English: bright-eyes; Cape periwinkle; old-maid; old-maid-flower; periwinkle; pink periwinkle; rose periwinkle; rosy periwinkle; white flower
- Spanish: adorna patio; cangrejera; catalana; coneja; flor boba; flor de todo el año; jazmín de la mar; rosa catalana
- French: fleurs des meres; fleurs des roches; pervenche; pervenche de Madagascar; pervenche du pays
- Chinese: chang chun hua
- Portuguese: avadeira; boa-noite; boa-tarde; lavadeira; pervinca-rosa; vinca-de-gato; vinca-de-madagascar; vinca-rosea
Local Common Names
- Australia: pink periwinkle
- Bahamas: old maid; red periwinkle
- Cuba: vicaria
- Dominican Republic: buenas tardes; cangrejera; libertine; mujer vegana; todo el año; vagabunda vegana
- Germany: Immergrün, Madagaskar-
- Haiti: pervenche blanche; pervenche rose; petit perbenche rose; san cesse; sans cesse blanche; sans cesse rose
- Indonesia: bunga serdadu; kembang tembaga; tapak dara
- Jamaica: ram-goat rose
- Lesser Antilles: churchyard blosson; doctor dyette; every day flower; pervanche de Madagascar; twelve o'clock
- Malaysia: kemunting china; rumput jalang; tahi ayam
- Philippines: amnias; chichirica; kantotai
- Puerto Rico: cangrejera; desbarata casamiento; flor de todo el año; jazmín del mar; playera
- Sweden: Oegonklara
- Thailand: nom in; phaengphuai bok; phakpot bok
- USA: Madagascar periwinkle; rose periwinkle
EPPO code
- CTURO (Catharanthus roseus)
Summary of Invasiveness
Top of pageC. roseus has been widely commercialized as an ornamental plant. Endangered in the wild, it is a fast-growing plant that is easy to cultivate. It is grown in gardens and parks worldwide and it has escaped from cultivation and naturalized near houses, in disturbed sites, and in natural habitats in seasonal dry and humid habitats. The species produces numerous small seeds that can be easily dispersed by ants, wind and water, but it can be also propagated vegetatively by cuttings (Sutarno and Rudjiman, 1999). C. roseus is listed as invasive in numerous countries in Asia, Africa, the Americas and Oceania.
Taxonomic Tree
Top of page- Domain: Eukaryota
- Kingdom: Plantae
- Phylum: Spermatophyta
- Subphylum: Angiospermae
- Class: Dicotyledonae
- Order: Gentianales
- Family: Apocynaceae
- Genus: Catharanthus
- Species: Catharanthus roseus
Notes on Taxonomy and Nomenclature
Top of pageThe family Apocynaceae includes about 415 genera and about 4555 species widely distributed around the world (Stevens, 2012). Members of this family are characterized by the presence of “milky latex” and include trees, shrubs, and vines and rarely subshrubs and herbs (Jussieu, 2011). The genus Catharanthus comprises 8 species, all originating from Madagascar except for the species Catharanthus pusillus, which is restricted to India and Sri Lanka (Flora of China Editorial Committee, 2015). The genus Catharanthus is closely related to the genus Vinca and the species C. roseus was formerly known as Vinca rosea. This species is a main source of vinca alkaloids, now sometimes called catharanthus alkaloids. The plant produces about 130 of these compounds, including vinblastine and vincristine, two drugs used to treat cancer (Sutarno and Rudjiman, 1999; PROTA, 2015).
Description
Top of pagePerennial subshrub, woody at base, up to 1 m tall, usually with white latex and an unpleasant smell; roots up to 70 cm long; stems narrowly winged, green or red, shortly hairy to glabrous, often woody at base. Leaves decussately opposite, simple and entire; stipules 2–4 at each side of the leaf base; petiole 3–11 mm long, green or red; blade elliptical to obovate or narrowly obovate, 2.5–8.5 cm × 1–4 cm, base cuneate, apex obtuse or acute with a mucronate tip, herbaceous to thinly leathery, glossy green above and pale green below, sparsely shortly hairy to glabrous on both sides. Inflorescence terminal, but apparently lateral, 1–2-flowered. Flowers bisexual, 5-merous, regular, almost sessile; sepals slightly fused at base, (2–)3–5 mm long, erect, green; corolla tube cylindrical, 2–3 cm long, widening near the top at the insertion of the stamens, laxly shortly hairy to glabrous outside, with a ring of hairs in the throat and another lower down the tube, greenish, lobes broadly obovate, 1–2(–3) cm long, apex mucronate, glabrous, spreading, pink, rose-purple or white with a purple, red, pink, pale yellow or white centre; stamens inserted just below the corolla throat, included, filaments very short; ovary superior, consisting of 2 very narrowly oblong carpels, style slender, 15–23 mm long, with a cylindrical pistil head provided at base with a reflexed transparent frill and with rings of woolly hairs at base and apex, stigma glabrous. Fruit composed of 2 free cylindrical follicles 2–4.5 cm long, striate, laxly shortly hairy to glabrous, green, dehiscent, 10–20-seeded. Seeds oblong, 2–3 mm long, grooved at one side, black (Flora of China Editorial Committee, 2015; PROTA, 2015).
Distribution
Top of pageC. roseus is native to Madagascar, where it is now endangered due to habitat destruction. It has been cultivated as an ornamental throughout tropical and subtropical regions and thus it has become naturalized in many regions in Asia, Africa, America, southern Europe and Oceania (see distribution table for details; Govaerts, 2015; PIER, 2015; PROTA, 2015; USDA-ARS, 2015).
Distribution Table
Top of pageThe distribution in this summary table is based on all the information available. When several references are cited, they may give conflicting information on the status. Further details may be available for individual references in the Distribution Table Details section which can be selected by going to Generate Report.
Last updated: 10 Feb 2022Continent/Country/Region | Distribution | Last Reported | Origin | First Reported | Invasive | Reference | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Africa |
|||||||
Benin | Present | Introduced | |||||
Botswana | Present | Introduced | |||||
Burkina Faso | Present | Introduced | |||||
Cameroon | Present | Introduced | |||||
Côte d'Ivoire | Present | Introduced | |||||
Djibouti | Present | Introduced | |||||
Eritrea | Present | Introduced | |||||
Eswatini | Present | Introduced | |||||
Ethiopia | Present | Introduced | |||||
Gabon | Present | Introduced | |||||
Guinea | Present | Introduced | |||||
Kenya | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Madagascar | Present | Native | |||||
Malawi | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Mauritius | Present | Introduced | |||||
-Rodrigues | Present | Introduced | |||||
Mozambique | Present | Introduced | |||||
Namibia | Present | Introduced | |||||
Réunion | Present | Introduced | |||||
Rwanda | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Saint Helena | Present | Introduced | |||||
Senegal | Present | Introduced | |||||
Seychelles | Present | Introduced | |||||
-Aldabra Islands | Present | Introduced | |||||
Sierra Leone | Present | Introduced | |||||
South Africa | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Tanzania | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Togo | Present | Introduced | |||||
Uganda | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Zambia | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Zimbabwe | Present | Introduced | 1932 | ||||
Asia |
|||||||
Bangladesh | Present | Introduced | |||||
Bhutan | Present | Introduced | 1963 | ||||
British Indian Ocean Territory | |||||||
-Chagos Archipelago | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Cambodia | Present | Introduced | |||||
China | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
-Chongqing | Present | ||||||
-Fujian | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
-Guizhou | Present | Introduced | Invasive | Cultivated | |||
-Hunan | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
-Jiangsu | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
-Jiangxi | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
-Sichuan | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
-Yunnan | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
-Zhejiang | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Hong Kong | Present | Introduced | 1851 | ||||
India | Present | ||||||
-Andaman and Nicobar Islands | Present | Introduced | |||||
-Assam | Present | Introduced | |||||
-Delhi | Present | ||||||
-Himachal Pradesh | Present | Introduced | |||||
-Karnataka | Present | ||||||
-Odisha | Present | ||||||
-Tamil Nadu | Present | ||||||
-West Bengal | Present | ||||||
Indonesia | Present | Present based on regional distribution. | |||||
-Java | Present | Introduced | |||||
-Sumatra | Present | Introduced | |||||
Japan | Present | Present based on regional distribution. | |||||
-Ryukyu Islands | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Malaysia | Present | Present based on regional distribution. | |||||
-Peninsular Malaysia | Present | Introduced | |||||
Maldives | Present | Introduced | |||||
Myanmar | Present | Introduced | |||||
Philippines | Present | Introduced | |||||
Saudi Arabia | Present | ||||||
Singapore | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
South Korea | Present | ||||||
Sri Lanka | Present | Introduced | |||||
Taiwan | Present | ||||||
Thailand | Present | Introduced | |||||
Turkey | Present | ||||||
Vietnam | Present | Introduced | |||||
Yemen | |||||||
-Socotra | Present | Introduced | 2005 | ||||
Europe |
|||||||
Greece | Present | Introduced | Cultivated in Crete | ||||
Italy | Present | Introduced | |||||
Spain | Present | Introduced | |||||
-Balearic Islands | Present | ||||||
-Canary Islands | Present | Introduced | First reported: 1980's | ||||
North America |
|||||||
Anguilla | Present | Introduced | |||||
Antigua and Barbuda | Present | Introduced | |||||
Aruba | Present | Introduced | |||||
Bahamas | Present | Introduced | |||||
Barbados | Present | Introduced | |||||
Belize | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
British Virgin Islands | Present | Introduced | Invasive | Guana, Tortola, Virgin Gorda | |||
Canada | Present | ||||||
-Ontario | Present | ||||||
Cayman Islands | Present | Introduced | |||||
Costa Rica | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Cuba | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Curaçao | Present | Introduced | |||||
Dominica | Present | Introduced | |||||
Dominican Republic | Present | Introduced | |||||
El Salvador | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
Guadeloupe | Present | Introduced | |||||
Guatemala | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
Haiti | Present | Introduced | |||||
Honduras | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
Jamaica | Present | Introduced | |||||
Martinique | Present | Introduced | |||||
Mexico | Present | Introduced | |||||
Montserrat | Present | Introduced | |||||
Netherlands Antilles | Present | Introduced | |||||
Nicaragua | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
Panama | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
Puerto Rico | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Saint Kitts and Nevis | Present | Introduced | |||||
Saint Lucia | Present | Introduced | |||||
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | Present | Introduced | |||||
Trinidad and Tobago | Present | Introduced | |||||
U.S. Virgin Islands | Present | Introduced | Invasive | St Croix, St John, St Thomas | |||
United States | Present | Present based on regional distribution. | |||||
-Alabama | Present | Introduced | |||||
-California | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
-Florida | Present | Introduced | |||||
-Georgia | Present | Introduced | |||||
-Hawaii | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
-Louisiana | Present | Introduced | |||||
-Mississippi | Present | Introduced | |||||
-North Carolina | Present | Introduced | |||||
-Ohio | Present | Introduced | |||||
-South Carolina | Present | Introduced | |||||
-Texas | Present | Introduced | |||||
Oceania |
|||||||
American Samoa | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Australia | Present | Present based on regional distribution. | |||||
-New South Wales | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
-Queensland | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
-Western Australia | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Christmas Island | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Cook Islands | Present | Introduced | |||||
Federated States of Micronesia | Present | Introduced | |||||
Fiji | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
French Polynesia | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Guam | Present | Introduced | |||||
Kiribati | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Marshall Islands | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Nauru | Present | Introduced | |||||
New Caledonia | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
New Zealand | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
-Kermadec Islands | Present | Introduced | 1908 | ||||
Niue | Present | Introduced | Invasive | Original citation: Space et al. (2004) | |||
Northern Mariana Islands | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Palau | Present | Introduced | |||||
Pitcairn | Present | Introduced | |||||
Solomon Islands | Present | Introduced | |||||
United States Minor Outlying Islands | |||||||
-Wake Island | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Vanuatu | Present | Introduced | |||||
Wallis and Futuna | Present | Introduced | |||||
South America |
|||||||
Argentina | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
Bolivia | Present | Introduced | |||||
Brazil | Present | Present based on regional distribution. | |||||
-Alagoas | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Amazonas | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Bahia | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Ceara | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Espirito Santo | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Goias | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Maranhao | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Mato Grosso | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Mato Grosso do Sul | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Minas Gerais | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Para | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Paraiba | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Parana | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Pernambuco | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Piaui | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Rio de Janeiro | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Rio Grande do Norte | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Rio Grande do Sul | Present | Introduced | |||||
-Rondonia | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Santa Catarina | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Sao Paulo | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Sergipe | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
-Tocantins | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Cultivated and naturalized | |||
Chile | Present | Present based on regional distribution. | |||||
-Easter Island | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Colombia | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
Ecuador | Present | Present based on regional distribution. | |||||
-Galapagos Islands | Present | Introduced | Invasive | ||||
French Guiana | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Naturalized | |||
Guyana | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Naturalized | |||
Paraguay | Present | Introduced | |||||
Peru | Present | Introduced | Cultivated | ||||
Suriname | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Naturalized | |||
Uruguay | Present | Introduced | |||||
Venezuela | Present | Introduced | Naturalized | Naturalized |
History of Introduction and Spread
Top of pageC. roseus has been introduced into new habitats worldwide mostly to be used as an ornamental and a medicinal plant. It was brought into cultivation in the first half of the 18th century in Paris from seeds collected in Madagascar, and was later distributed from European botanical gardens to the tropics as an ornamental. In the West Indies, it appears in herbarium collections made in 1882 in the Virgin Islands, in 1885 in Puerto Rico, and in 1910 in the Dominican Republic (US National Herbarium).
Risk of Introduction
Top of pageThe risk of introduction of C. roseus is very high. Because this species has been widely introduced as ornamental and because it spreads by seeds and cuttings, there is a high probability for this species to escape from cultivation and become naturalized into natural areas, principally in areas near cultivation (Webb et al., 1988).
Habitat
Top of pageC. roseus is commonly associated with coastal habitats and sandy locations along the coast, but is also found inland on riverbanks, savanna vegetation, dry waste places, roadsides, open forest and scrubland, usually on sandy soils, but sometimes also on rocky soils. It is a common garden plant and frequently escapes to near roadsides, disturbed sites, abandoned gardens, and farmland (Weeds of Australia, 2015; BioNET-EAFRINET, 2015; PROTA, 2015). In the Galápagos Islands, it grows in arid lowlands (McMullen, 1999).
Habitat List
Top of pageCategory | Sub-Category | Habitat | Presence | Status |
---|---|---|---|---|
Terrestrial | Managed | Disturbed areas | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) |
Terrestrial | Managed | Disturbed areas | Present, no further details | Natural |
Terrestrial | Managed | Disturbed areas | Present, no further details | Productive/non-natural |
Terrestrial | Managed | Rail / roadsides | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) |
Terrestrial | Managed | Rail / roadsides | Present, no further details | Natural |
Terrestrial | Managed | Urban / peri-urban areas | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) |
Terrestrial | Managed | Urban / peri-urban areas | Present, no further details | Natural |
Terrestrial | Managed | Urban / peri-urban areas | Present, no further details | Productive/non-natural |
Terrestrial | Natural / Semi-natural | Natural grasslands | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) |
Terrestrial | Natural / Semi-natural | Natural grasslands | Present, no further details | Natural |
Terrestrial | Natural / Semi-natural | Riverbanks | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) |
Terrestrial | Natural / Semi-natural | Riverbanks | Present, no further details | Natural |
Littoral | Coastal areas | Present, no further details | Harmful (pest or invasive) | |
Littoral | Coastal areas | Present, no further details | Natural |
Host Plants and Other Plants Affected
Top of pagePlant name | Family | Context | References |
---|---|---|---|
Chrysanthemum (daisy) | Asteraceae | Unknown |
Biology and Ecology
Top of pageGenetics
The chromosome number reported for C. roseus is 2n = 16 (Chen et al., 2003). About 50 cultivars have been developed. Although hybrids are only occasionally found in nature, in cultivation many usually fertile hybrids can be made between the different Catharanthus species, which have the same chromosome numbers (PROTA, 2015).
Reproductive Biology
C. roseus is usually self-compatible, and intra-flower self-pollination is common, because the stigma may come into contact with the anthers, even after anthesis. The degree of outcrossing may vary with environmental conditions and the presence of seasonal pollinating butterflies. Self-incompatible strains of C. roseus exist and can be locally common (PROTA, 2015).
Physiology and Phenology
C. roseus is a fast-growing perennial plant that spreads principally by seed. Seed may remain dormant for several weeks after maturity. The optimum temperature for germination is 20–25°C, and the germination rate is in general over 95%. The seeds remain viable for 3–5 years (PROTA, 2015).
In warmer climates, C. roseus will flower and fruit the whole year round. Within 6–8 weeks after germination the first flowers will appear. In China, it has been recorded flowering in spring-autumn (Flora of China Editorial Committee, 2015).
Environmental Requirements
C. roseus grows naturally on sandy locations in coastal areas, but occasionally grows in sites up to 1500 m altitude. It is very salt-tolerant and it can tolerate drought well, but not severe heat (PROTA, 2015). Full sun and well-drained soil are preferred.
Climate
Top of pageClimate | Status | Description | Remark |
---|---|---|---|
Am - Tropical monsoon climate | Preferred | Tropical monsoon climate ( < 60mm precipitation driest month but > (100 - [total annual precipitation(mm}/25])) | |
As - Tropical savanna climate with dry summer | Preferred | < 60mm precipitation driest month (in summer) and < (100 - [total annual precipitation{mm}/25]) | |
Aw - Tropical wet and dry savanna climate | Preferred | < 60mm precipitation driest month (in winter) and < (100 - [total annual precipitation{mm}/25]) | |
BS - Steppe climate | Tolerated | > 430mm and < 860mm annual precipitation |
Air Temperature
Top of pageParameter | Lower limit | Upper limit |
---|---|---|
Absolute minimum temperature (ºC) | -1.1 | |
Mean annual temperature (ºC) | 11 | 35 |
Rainfall
Top of pageParameter | Lower limit | Upper limit | Description |
---|---|---|---|
Mean annual rainfall | 800 | 1400 | mm; lower/upper limits |
Soil Tolerances
Top of pageSoil drainage
- free
Soil reaction
- acid
- alkaline
- neutral
Soil texture
- light
- medium
Notes on Natural Enemies
Top of pageIn Malaysia, C. roseus has been reported to be infected with “Malaysian periwinkle yellow”. Symptoms of this infection include excessive yellowing of foliage, bunchy top and stunted flowers and leaves, suggesting infection by a mycoplasma-like organism. Similar diseases have been reported from China, Taiwan, North America and Europe. Mycoplasma-like organisms can be transferred to C. roseus by parasitic plants of the genus Cuscuta, and perhaps also by leafhoppers. In the USA, C. roseus plants cultivated as ornamentals have been reported susceptible to Phytophthora parasitica that causes root- and stem rot. When plants grow in glasshouses they are susceptible to red spider mite (Tetranychus urticae) (PROTA, 2015).
Means of Movement and Dispersal
Top of pageC. roseus spreads sexually by seed and vegetatively by greenwood or semi-ripe cuttings (PROTA, 2015). Seeds usually fall close to the mother plant, but they can also be dispersed longer distances by ants, wind and water (Sutarno and Rudjiman, 1999).
Pathway Causes
Top of pageCause | Notes | Long Distance | Local | References |
---|---|---|---|---|
Breeding and propagation | Often commercialized as ornamental | Yes | Yes | USDA-ARS (2015) |
Disturbance | Escaped and naturalized in disturbed sites | Yes | Yes | PIER (2015) |
Escape from confinement or garden escape | Escaped from cultivation | Yes | Yes | PIER (2015) |
Garden waste disposal | Often commercialized as ornamental | Yes | Yes | PIER (2015) |
Horticulture | Often commercialized as ornamental | Yes | Yes | USDA-ARS (2015) |
Nursery trade | Often commercialized as ornamental | Yes | Yes | USDA-ARS (2015) |
Ornamental purposes | Yes | Yes | USDA-ARS (2015) |
Pathway Vectors
Top of pageVector | Notes | Long Distance | Local | References |
---|---|---|---|---|
Debris and waste associated with human activities | Yes | Yes | USDA-ARS (2015) | |
Soil, sand and gravel | Yes | Yes | PROTA (2015) | |
Water | Yes | Yes | PROTA (2015) | |
Wind | Yes | Yes | PROTA (2015) |
Impact Summary
Top of pageCategory | Impact |
---|---|
Economic/livelihood | Positive and negative |
Environment (generally) | Positive and negative |
Human health | Positive and negative |
Environmental Impact
Top of pageC. roseus has repeatedly escaped from cultivation and become naturalized in natural areas where it grows creating monospecific stands and displacing native vegetation. It is regarded as an environmental weed and as an invasive plant species impacting principally coastal habitats and habitats on sandy soils (Sutarno and Rudjiman, 1999; PROTA, 2015). It is listed among the 100 most invasive plants in south-eastern Queensland (Weeds of Australia, 2015).
Risk and Impact Factors
Top of page- Proved invasive outside its native range
- Has a broad native range
- Abundant in its native range
- Highly adaptable to different environments
- Is a habitat generalist
- Tolerates, or benefits from, cultivation, browsing pressure, mutilation, fire etc
- Pioneering in disturbed areas
- Highly mobile locally
- Benefits from human association (i.e. it is a human commensal)
- Long lived
- Fast growing
- Has high reproductive potential
- Gregarious
- Has propagules that can remain viable for more than one year
- Reproduces asexually
- Conflict
- Ecosystem change/ habitat alteration
- Loss of medicinal resources
- Modification of successional patterns
- Monoculture formation
- Reduced native biodiversity
- Threat to/ loss of native species
- Competition - monopolizing resources
- Competition - smothering
- Hybridization
- Rapid growth
- Rooting
- Highly likely to be transported internationally deliberately
Uses
Top of pageC. roseus is widely cultivated as an ornamental, but it is also grown for medicinal purposes. The aerial parts of the plant are used for the extraction of the medicinal alkaloids vincristine and vinblastine. The alkaloids are prescribed in anticancer therapy, usually as part of complex chemotherapy protocols.
The dried root is an industrial source of ajmalicine, which increases the blood flow in the brain and peripheral parts of the body. Preparations of ajmalicine are used to treat the psychological and behavioural problems of senility, sensory problems (dizziness, tinnitus), cranial traumas and their neurological complications (Sutarno and Rudjiman, 1999; PROTA, 2015).
Economic Value
The world market consumed 5–10 kg of vincristine and vinblastine in the early 1990s, with a total value of US$25-50 million. In 2005 the market was estimated at US$150-300 million. In 1991 the world market consumed 3–5 t of ajmalicine, with a total value of US$4.5–7.5 million. Two anticancer medicines, Oncovin® and Velban®, derived from C. roseus, are sold for a total of US$100 million per year (PROTA, 2015).
Uses List
Top of pageGeneral
- Ornamental
Genetic importance
- Gene source
- Test organisms (for pests and diseases)
Medicinal, pharmaceutical
- Source of medicine/pharmaceutical
- Traditional/folklore
Ornamental
- Potted plant
- Seed trade
References
Top of pageAcevedo-Rodríguez P, Strong MT, 2012. Catalogue of the Seed Plants of the West Indies. Smithsonian Contributions to Botany, 98:1192 pp. Washington DC, USA: Smithsonian Institution. http://botany.si.edu/Antilles/WestIndies/catalog.htm
Balick MJ, Nee M, Atha DE, 2000. Checklist of the vascular plants of Belize. Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden, 85:1-246
BioNET-EAFRINET, 2015. East African Network for Taxonomy. Online Key and Fact Sheets for Invasive plants. http://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/eafrinet/weeds/key/weeds/Media/Html/index.htm
Broome R, Sabir K, Carrington S, 2007. Plants of the Eastern Caribbean. Online database. Barbados: University of the West Indies. http://ecflora.cavehill.uwi.edu/index.html
Chacón E, Saborío G, 2012. Red Interamericana de Información de Especies Invasoras, Costa Rica ([English title not available]). San José, Costa Rica: Asociación para la Conservación y el Estudio de la Biodiversidad. http://invasoras.acebio.org
Chen R, Song W, Li Xl, Li M, Liang Gl, Chen C, 2003. Chromosome Atlas of Major Economic Plants Genome in China, Vol. 3. Chromosome Atlas of Garden Flowering Plants in China. Beijing, China: Science Press
Chong KY, Tan HTW, Corlett RT, 2009. A checklist of the total vascular plant flora of Singapore: native, naturalised and cultivated species. Singapore: Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research, National University of Singapore, 273 pp. http://lkcnhm.nus.edu.sg/nus/pdf/PUBLICATION/LKCNH%20Museum%20Books/LKCNHM%20Books/flora_of_singapore_tc.pdf
DAISIE, 2015. Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe. European Invasive Alien Species Gateway. www.europe-aliens.org/default.do
Davidse G, Sousa MS, Knapp S, Chiang FC, 2009. Cucurbitaceae a Polemoniaceae. Flora Mesoamericana, 4(1):1-855
Flora of China Editorial Committee, 2015. Flora of China. St. Louis, Missouri and Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA: Missouri Botanical Garden and Harvard University Herbaria. http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=2
Florence J, Chevillotte H, Ollier C, Meyer J-Y, 2013. Base de données botaniques Nadeaud de l'Herbier de la Polynésie Française (PAP) (Botanical database of the Nadeaud Herbarium of French Polynesia). http://www.herbier-tahiti.pf
Govaerts R, 2015. World Checklist of Apocynaceae. Richmond, UK: Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
Graveson R, 2012. The Plants of Saint Lucia (in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean). The Plants of Saint Lucia (in the Lesser Antilles of the Caribbean). http://www.saintlucianplants.com
Herrera K, Lorence DH, Flynn T, Balick MJ, 2010. Checklist of the vascular plants of Pohnpei with local names and uses. Lawai, Hawaii, USA: National Tropical Botanical Garden, 146 pp
Idárraga-Piedrahita A, Ortiz RDC, Callejas Posada R, Merello M, 2011. Flora of Antioquia. (Flora de Antioquia.) Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares, vol. 2. Listado de las Plantas Vasculares del Departamento de Antioquia:939 pp
Jussieu AL, 2011. Apocynaceae. Flora of China. http://www.tropicos.org/Name/42000278?projectid=8
Jørgensen PM, Nee MH, Beck SG, 2014. Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de Bolivia. Monographs in systematic botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden, 127:1-1744
Kato H, 2007. Herbarium records of Makino Herbarium, Tokyo Metropolitan University
Koch I, Rapini A, Simões AO, Kinoshita LS, Spina AP, Castello ACD, 2015. Apocynaceae in Lista de Espécies da Flora do Brasil (Apocyanaceae in the list of species of the flora of Brazil). Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. http://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/jabot/floradobrasil/FB80256
McCormack G, 2013. Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007. Cook Islands Biodiversity Database. Rarotonga, Cook Islands: Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust. http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org/search.asp
McMullen CK, 1999. Flowering plants of the Galápagos. Ithaca, New York, USA: Comstock Publisher Assoc., 370 pp
Meyer JY, 2008. Report of the expert mission to Rapa Nui, 2-11 June 2008. Strategic action plan to control invasive alien plants on Rapa Nui (Easter Island) (Rapport de mission d'expertise a Rapa Nui du 02 au 11 Juin 2008: Plan d'action strategique pour lutter contre les plantes introduites envahissantes sur Rapa Nui (Île de pâques)). Papeete, Tahiti: Délégation à la Recherche, Ministère de l'Education, l'Enseignement supérieur et la Recherche, 62 pp. http://www.li-an.fr/jyves/Meyer_2008_Rapport_Expertise_Rapa_Nui.pdf
Oviedo Prieto R, Herrera Oliver P, Caluff MG, et al. , 2012. National list of invasive and potentially invasive plants in the Republic of Cuba - 2011. (Lista nacional de especies de plantas invasoras y potencialmente invasoras en la República de Cuba - 2011). Bissea: Boletín sobre Conservación de Plantas del Jardín Botánico Nacional de Cuba, 6(Special Issue 1):22-96
PIER, 2015. Pacific Islands Ecosystems at Risk. Honolulu, USA: HEAR, University of Hawaii. http://www.hear.org/pier/index.html
PROTA, 2015. PROTA4U web database. Grubben GJH, Denton OA, eds. Wageningen, Netherlands: Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. http://www.prota4u.info
Smith AC, 1988. Flora Vitiensis nova: a new flora of Fiji. National Tropical Botanical Garden, Lawai, Kauai, Hawaii. Volume 4. 377 pp
Space JC, Imada CT, 2004. Report to the Republic of Kiribati on invasive plant species on the islands of Tarawa, Abemama, Butaritari and Maiana. Cont. no. 2003-006 to the Pac. Biol. Surv. USDA Forest Service and Bishop Museum, Honolulu
Space JC, Waterhouse BM, Newfield M, Bull C, 2004. Report to the Government of Niue and the United Nations Development Programme: Invasive plant species on Niue following Cyclone Heta. 80 pp. [UNDP NIU/98/G31 - Niue Enabling Activity.] http://www.hear.org/pier/reports/niue_report_2004.htm
Stevens PF, 2012. Angiosperm Phylogeny Website. http://www.mobot.org/MOBOT/research/APweb/
Sutarno H, Rudjiman H, 1999. Catharanthus roseus (L.) G. Don. Record from Proseabase. Proseabase [ed. by Padua, L. S. de \Bunyapraphatsara, N. \Lemmens, R. H. M. J.]. Bogor, Indonesia: PROSEA (Plant Resources of South-East Asia) Foundation. http://www.proseanet.org
Swarbrick JT, 1997. Environmental weeds and exotic plants on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. Report to Parks Australia. J.T. Swarbrick, Weed Science Consultancy, 131 pp
Thaman RR, Fosberg FR, Manner HI, Hassall DC, 1994. The flora of Nauru. Atoll Research Bulletin, 392:1-223
USDA-ARS, 2015. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online Database. Beltsville, Maryland, USA: National Germplasm Resources Laboratory. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomysearch.aspx
USDA-NRCS, 2015. The PLANTS Database. Baton Rouge, USA: National Plant Data Center. http://plants.usda.gov/
Weeds of Australia, 2015. Weeds of Australia, Biosecurity Queensland Edition. http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/03030800-0b07-490a-8d04-0605030c0f01/media/Html/search.html?zoom_query=
Whistler WA, 1983. The flora and vegetation of Swains Island. Atoll Research Bulletin, 262:25 pp
Whistler WA, 1996. Botanical survey of Diego Garcia, Chagos Archipelago, British Indian Ocean Territory. Isle Botanica (online), 49 pp. http://www.zianet.com/tedmorris/dg/2005NRMP-Appendixe-botanicalsurvey.pdf
Wu TL, 2001. Check List of Hong Kong Plants. Hong Kong Herbarium and the South China Institute of Botany. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Bulletin 1 (revised):384 pp. http://www.hkflora.com/v2/flora/plant_check_list.php
Zuloaga FO, Morrone O, Belgrano MJ, 2008. Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares del Cono Sur: (Argentina, Sur de Brasil, Chile, Paraguay y Uruguay) ([English title not available])., USA: Missouri Botanical Garden Press, 3348 pp
Distribution References
Balick MJ, Nee M, Atha DE, 2000. Checklist of the vascular plants of Belize. In: Memoirs of the New York Botanical Garden, 85 1-246.
BioNET-EAFRINET, 2015. East African Network for Taxonomy. In: Online Key and Fact Sheets for Invasive plants, http://keys.lucidcentral.org/keys/v3/eafrinet/weeds/key/weeds/Media/Html/index.htm
Broome R, Sabir K, Carrington S, 2007. Plants of the Eastern Caribbean. Online database., Barbados: University of the West Indies. http://ecflora.cavehill.uwi.edu/index.htm
CABI, Undated. Compendium record. Wallingford, UK: CABI
CABI, Undated a. CABI Compendium: Status inferred from regional distribution. Wallingford, UK: CABI
CABI, Undated b. CABI Compendium: Status as determined by CABI editor. Wallingford, UK: CABI
Chacón E, Saborío G, 2012. [English title not available]. (Red Interamericana de Información de Especies Invasoras, Costa Rica)., San José, Costa Rica: Asociación para la Conservación y el Estudio de la Biodiversidad. http://invasoras.acebio.org
DAISIE, 2015. Delivering Alien Invasive Species Inventories for Europe. http://www.europe-aliens.org/
Davidse G, Sousa MS, Knapp S, Chiang FC, 2009. (Cucurbitaceae a Polemoniaceae). In: Flora Mesoamericana, 4 (1) 1-855.
Flora of China Editorial Committee, 2015. Flora of China., St. Louis, Missouri; Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA: Missouri Botanical Garden and Harvard University Herbaria. http://www.efloras.org/flora_page.aspx?flora_id=2
Florence J, Chevillotte H, Ollier C, Meyer J-Y, 2013. Botanical database of the Nadeaud Herbarium of French Polynesia. (Base de données botaniques Nadeaud de l'Herbier de la Polynésie Française (PAP))., http://www.herbier-tahiti.pf
Govaerts R, 2015. World Checklist of Apocynaceae., Richmond, UK: Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
Herrera K, Lorence DH, Flynn T, Balick MJ, 2010. Checklist of the vascular plants of Pohnpei with local names and uses., Lawai, Hawaii, USA: National Tropical Botanical Garden. 146 pp.
Idárraga-Piedrahita A, Ortiz RDC, Callejas Posada R, Merello M, 2011. Flora of Antioquia. (Flora de Antioquia). In: Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares, 2 Listado de las Plantas Vasculares del Departamento de Antioquia. 939 pp.
Jørgensen PM, Nee MH, Beck SG, 2014. (Catálogo de las plantas vasculares de Bolivia). In: Monographs in systematic botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden, 127 1-1744.
Kato H, 2007. Herbarium records of Makino Herbarium., Tokyo Metropolitan University.
Koch I, Rapini A, Simões AO, Kinoshita LS, Spina AP, Castello ACD, 2015. Apocyanaceae in the list of species of the flora of Brazil. (Apocynaceae in Lista de Espécies da Flora do Brasil)., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro. http://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/jabot/floradobrasil/FB80256
McCormack G, 2013. Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007. In: Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Rarotonga, Cook Islands: Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust. http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org/search.asp
Meyer JY, 2008. Report of the expert mission to Rapa Nui, 2-11 June 2008. Strategic action plan to control invasive alien plants on Rapa Nui (Easter Island). ((Rapport de mission d'expertise a Rapa Nui du 02 au 11 Juin 2008: Plan d'action strategique pour lutter contre les plantes introduites envahissantes sur Rapa Nui (Île de pâques)))., Papeete, Tahiti, Délégation à la Recherche, Ministère de l'Education, l'Enseignement supérieur et la Recherche. 62 pp. http://www.li-an.fr/jyves/Meyer_2008_Rapport_Expertise_Rapa_Nui.pdf
PIER, 2015. Pacific Islands Ecosystems at Risk., Honolulu, USA: HEAR, University of Hawaii. http://www.hear.org/pier/index.html
PROTA, 2015. PROTA4U web database., [ed. by Grubben GJH, Denton OA]. Wageningen, Netherlands: Plant Resources of Tropical Africa. http://www.prota4u.info
Space JC, Imada CT, 2004. Report to the Republic of Kiribati on invasive plant species on the islands of Tarawa, Abemama, Butaritari and Maiana. In: Cont. no. 2003-006 to the Pac. Biol. Surv, Honolulu, USDA Forest Service and Bishop Museum.
Swarbrick JT, 1997. Environmental weeds and exotic plants on Christmas Island, Indian Ocean. Report to Parks Australia., [ed. by Swarbrick JT]. Weed Science Consultancy. 131 pp.
Thaman RR, Fosberg FR, Manner HI, Hassall DC, 1994. The flora of Nauru. In: Atoll Research Bulletin, 392 1-223.
USDA-ARS, 2015. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online Database. Beltsville, Maryland, USA: National Germplasm Resources Laboratory. https://npgsweb.ars-grin.gov/gringlobal/taxon/taxonomysimple.aspx
USDA-NRCS, 2015. The PLANTS Database. Greensboro, North Carolina, USA: National Plant Data Team. https://plants.sc.egov.usda.gov
Weeds of Australia, 2015. Weeds of Australia, Biosecurity Queensland Edition., http://keyserver.lucidcentral.org/weeds/data/03030800-0b07-490a-8d04-0605030c0f01/media/Html/search.html?zoom_query=
Whistler WA, 1996. Botanical survey of Diego Garcia, Chagos Archipelago, British Indian Ocean Territory., Isle Botanica. 49 pp. http://www.zianet.com/tedmorris/dg/2005NRMP-Appendixe-botanicalsurvey.pdf
Wu TL, 2001. Check List of Hong Kong Plants. In: Hong Kong Herbarium and the South China Institute of Botany. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Bulletin 1 (revised), 384 pp. http://www.hkflora.com/v2/flora/plant_check_list.php
Zuloaga FO, Morrone O, Belgrano MJ, 2008. [English title not available]. (Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares del Cono Sur: (Argentina, Sur de Brasil, Chile, Paraguay y Uruguay))., USA: Missouri Botanical Garden Press. 3348 pp.
Contributors
Top of page30/04/15 Original text by:
Julissa Rojas-Sandoval, Department of Botany-Smithsonian NMNH, Washington DC, USA
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