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Glite Dictionary
Catharanthus roseus

Catharanthus roseus

9.2
A small woody plant from Madagascar with large pink, white, or red flowers grown in gardens and used in medicine
  • noun
  • /ˌkæθəˈræntəs ˈroʊzəs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : Catharanthus roseus
  • Researchers are studying Catharanthus roseus for its anticancer properties.

Examples

  • Many gardens feature Catharanthus roseus because of its vibrant flowers and easy care.

  • The medicinal compounds extracted from Catharanthus roseus have saved countless lives.

  • The Catharanthus roseus blooms beautifully in the garden.

  • Many gardeners love the Catharanthus roseus for its vibrant colors.

  • Many gardens feature Catharanthus roseus because of its vibrant flowers and easy care.

  • Researchers are studying Catharanthus roseus for its anticancer properties.

  • The medicinal compounds extracted from Catharanthus roseus have saved countless lives.

Synonyms

Madagascar periwinkle
vsCatharanthus roseus
8.4

A plant from Madagascar with glossy leaves and pink or red flowers

is the scientific name for that same plant used in medicine
Vinca rosea
vsCatharanthus roseus
  • Specialized
8.5

A tropical garden plant with large pink or red flowers

is the modern scientific name for the same medicinal plant
cape periwinkle
vsCatharanthus roseus
9.5

A woody plant with large pink or red flowers often grown in gardens

is the scientific term highlighting island origin and medicinal use
rose periwinkle
vsCatharanthus roseus
7.7

A tropical evergreen plant with thick stems and bright pink or red flowers often grown in gardens

is the species name used especially for its medicinal properties
red periwinkle
vsCatharanthus roseus
9.7

A small woody plant with bright pink or red flowers grown in gardens

focuses more on medicinal use and specific island origin than ornament

Surface Forms

Catharanthus roseus singular
Catharanthus roseuses plural

Morphology

Catharanthus + roseus

This is a standard Latin binomial composed of a genus name plus an adjectival species epithet; if a learner knows 'Catharanthus' (the flowering genus) and 'roseus' (Latin for 'rosy/pink'), they can infer it refers to the rosy/pink species of Catharanthus (Madagascar periwinkle). Binomial naming is a regular compositional pattern cross-linguistically, so the meaning is directly derivable from the constituents.

Etymology

Catharanthus roseus is a Latin plant name. The first part, Catharanthus, comes from old words meaning 'pure' and 'flower', and roseus means 'pink', so the name gives the image of a 'pure pink flower' and helps you remember this pink periwinkle that is grown in gardens and used in medicine.