Catharanthus pusillus - Tiny Periwinkle

❏ Binomial Name : Catharanthus pusillus (Murray) G.Don.

❏ Synonym : Vinca pusilla

❏ Family : Apocynacaeae

❏ Common Name : Tiny Periwinkle, Tiny Vinca

❏ Tamil Name : Milakaych Chakkalatti

❏ Hindi Name : 

❏ IUCN status: Not Evaluated

Catharanthus pusillus Botanical Description

Erect herbs. Leaves 3-7 x 0.5-2 cm, lanceolate, acute at both ends, lateral nerves 6-8 pairs, slender, faint; petiole 3-5 mm long, axils glandular. Flowers axillary, solitary or paired; calyx 5-partite, lobes subulate, eglandular; corolla white, hypocrateriform, tube 7 mm long, inflated below the mouth, mouth pilose, lobes obovate 2 mm long; stamens included, anthers narrowly ovate, distinct. Follicles 2-3 cm long; seeds black. Fl. &Fr.: April-October.

Catharanthus pusillus Medicinal uses

❀ The whole plant, but especially the stem, contains a series of alkaloids, tannins, saponins and leucanthocyanins. Several of the alkaloids show pharmacological activities when tested in isolation.

❀ An infusion of the stems is used in the treatment of digestive problems such as indigestion, biliousness and diarrhoea; feverish conditions including malaria; urinary system problems, including nephritis and oedema; headache, hepatitis, piles, sinusitis and spermatorrhoea.

❀ A decoction of the stems is drunk to relieve itch and eczema

You can also add your pictures in this website. What you can do is send your pictures along with the information contain where and when you took to this given mail id flowersoftamilnadu@gmail.com Thank You

If you have any comments about the site or the pictures, good or bad, we'd like to hear from you. Please do comments!