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Catharanthus roseus

Tiare Tāpau

Rosy Periwinkle

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Image:	Leaves and flower	50KB

General Information

COMMON NAMES: Rosy Periwinkle, Pink Periwinkle, Red Periwinkle, Madagascar Periwinkle; German Catharanthe

TRADITIONAL NAMES: Tiare Tāpau (RR), Tiare Mākuru (MG), Tiare Mākarūta (AT), Tiare Vare‘au (MK), Tiare Mākurāta (MT), Tiare Taramea (AK), White Flower (PL), Tiale Sina / Tiale Valeau (TS), Tiare Sina / Tiare Vareau (TW), Tiare Akiaki (MH RK), Talamea (PK); COMMENT: Mākuru and Mākarūta are derived from an early Resident Agent, McGruther.

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION: NATIVE Madagascar

COOK ISLANDS STATUS: Introduced - Recent, Naturalised; Land, lowlands

SIGNIFICANCE LIST: Medicine, Ornamental flowers

Cook Islands Distribution

View Distribution Map

Southern Group: Present Makatea: Present
RR	MG	AT	MK	MT	AK	PL	TK	MN
++++	++++	++++	++	P	+++	P		-?

Northern Group: Present
TN	MH	RK	PK	NS	SW
+++	P	+	+	P	-

Key to Symbols

blank	no data
-	absent	L	localised
X	extinct 'naturally'	W	widespread
XQi	quarantine intercepted	R	recent
XQe	eradicated	?	query preceding category
P	present	T?	taxonomic query
S	seasonal	nn	present, said to have no name
O	occasional	?1	present, name not investigated
++++	very common	?2	presence not verified, no name recorded
+++	common	N/A	absent, name not expected
++	uncommon
+	rare
Cook Islands islands: RR =Rarotonga, MG = Mangaia, AT =‘Ātiu, MK=Ma‘uke, MT=Miti‘āro, AK=Aitutaki, PL=Palmerston, PN=Penrhyn, MN=Manuae, TK=Takūtea, TN=Tongareva (TS=Tongaleva Spoken, TW=Tongareva Written, they say "el" but write "r"), MH=Manihiki, RK=Rakahanga, PK=Pukapuka, NS=Nassau, SW=Suwarrow. After a Polynesian name: ^=orthography query. Countries and other: FIJ=Fiji, WT=Wallis & Futuna, SAM=Samoa, TON=Tonga, NIU=Niue, CK=Cook Islands, CKM=Cook Islands Māori, FP=French Polynesia, AUS=Australs, SOC=Societies, TAH=Tahiti, TUA=Tuamotus, MQS=Marquesas, MNG=Mangareva, PIT=Pitcain group, EAS=Easter Island, HAW=Hawai‘i, NZ=New Zealand, NZM=New Zealand Māori

Scientific Taxonomy

Catharanthus roseus Linnaeus
SYNONYMS: Vinca rosea [incl. TC/GW]; Lochnera rosea

TAXONOMY: PLANTAE; ANTHOPHYTA (=Angiospermae); MAGNOLIOPSIDA (=Dicotyledones); ASTERIDAE; Gentianales; APOCYNACEAE

More Information

SIGNIFICANCE NOTES -
POSITIVE SIGNIFICANCE: Medicine, Ornamental flowers. Comments: The American pharmaceurtical giant, Eli Lilley, utilised two biocompounds from this species to manufacture vincristine and vinblastine, two potent therapies against blood cancers. These chemicals save 30,000 Americn lives a years and generate a half billion dollars a year. [from People and the Planet, 1998, 7(4):7]

GENERAL NOTE: Chemicals from the leaves are used to fight cancer. Vinblastine is used to treat Hodgkin's disease, while vincristine is used for childhood leukaemia. Both chemicals only occur in very small amounts. Around 50 tonnes of leaves are needed to make 100 grammes of vincristine - worth about £22,000. [Notice at Kew Gardens, 2002].

Vouchers & References

Vouchers:
Pukapuka: need to check, G.McCormack, 3/2005.

References:
p.215 Wagner et al.- Flowering Plants of Hawaii
p.689 Neal - In Gardens of Hawaii
p.74 Tropica
p.4/085 A.C.Smith - Flora Vitiensis Nova
p.287 R* Cheeseman - Flora of Rarotonga
p.89 R Wilder - Flora of Rarotonga
p.403e Whistler - Ethnobotany of the Cook Islands

Data Update History (information):
zTX, zB02, zM02

Web Resources

Citation Information

McCormack, Gerald (2007) Cook Islands Biodiversity Database, Version 2007.2. Cook Islands Natural Heritage Trust, Rarotonga. Online at http://cookislands.bishopmuseum.org.
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