Plants · La Saladita, Guerrero

Madagascar Periwinkle

Catharanthus roseus

Spanish: chula

Madagascar Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus)
Photographed by carlos72635 on iNaturalist · CC-BY-NC

Catharanthus roseus, commonly known as bright eyes, Cape periwinkle, graveyard plant, Madagascar periwinkle, old maid, pink periwinkle, rose periwinkle, is a perennial species of flowering plant in the family Apocynaceae. It is native and endemic to Madagascar, but is grown elsewhere as an ornamental and medicinal plant, and now has a pantropical distribution. It is a source of the drugs vincristine and vinblastine, used to treat cancer. It was formerly included in the genus Vinca as Vinca rosea. Most often recorded in Apr, Nov, May.

TaxonomyMagnoliopsida › Gentianales › Apocynaceae
Local records5 research-grade observations within about 50 km of La Saladita (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones)
Global records71,133 on iNaturalist
Recorded here2020 – 2026
Months recorded near La Saladita
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Recent local sightings

Interactive card with more photos, sounds and similar species Plants guide iNaturalist Wikipedia

Cite as: “Madagascar Periwinkle (Catharanthus roseus) at La Saladita”, La Saladita Field Guide, lasaladita.com/species/catharanthus-roseus/, updated 2026-09-26. Observation counts and months come from iNaturalist research-grade records within about 50 km of 17.8375°N, 101.7606°W (the survey box also takes in Zihuatanejo, Ixtapa and Troncones); summary text from Wikipedia where present.