Anyone know the name of this flower?

[Green_Biscuit]

Re: Anyone know the name of this flower?

Yes, it is. One may be wild, and one cultivated. Periwinkle and vinca are both used to refer to the same plant, which has a number of varities. QK, ours is usually a little more blue....also, this is not the "vinca" that is the common name for an annual vine that is bicolor and non-flowering that appears in garden centers for use in mixed pots. That's entirely different.

[RichD]

Re: Anyone know the name of this flower?

Originally posted by Green_Biscuit:
[qb] The botanical name is Catharanthus roseus. It's common botanical name is Madagascar Periwinkle. It's Jamaican common names may include:
"churchyard blossum" (sic), "old maids oleander" or just "old maid"....
It is used for treatment of leukemia.

I read gardening books...all the time. In fact, I collect them. [/qb]

i thought they used it to treat diabetes?

i heard it is actually dangerous since it does nothign for the diabetes other than mask the sugar in the urine

[mountaingal]

Re: Anyone know the name of this flower?

Big-leaf periwinkle (vinca major)is a trailing groundcover that grows in cooler climates, and bears blue flowers. sometimes the leaves are variegated.

Madagascar periwinkle (catharanthus rosea) was once thought to be a vinca but is not. It is a tropical plant that grows upright, with white to pinkish flowers.


both plants have medicinal properties, yet both are apparently members of the poisonous dogbane family of plants that includes oleander.