Scientific Name
Catharanthus roseus
Common Name
Vinca, Madagascar periwinkle

CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN.

Characteristics

Family
Apocynaceae
Plant Description
Evergreen, erect herb; leaves opposite, simple, smooth margined; flowers with slender tube and 5 spreading lobes, rose-pink, white, or white with a reddish eye; fruits long, slender, often paired.
Origin
Madagascar.
Where Found
Landscape in flower gardens as cultivated, flowering herbaceous annual.
Mode
Ingestion, inhalation.
Poisonous Part
All parts.
Symptoms
Hallucinations.
Toxic Principle
Alkaloid.
Severity
CAUSES ONLY LOW TOXICITY IF EATEN.

"Poisonous Plants of North Carolina," Dr. Alice B. Russell, Department of Horticultural Science; Dr. James W. Hardin, Botany; Dr. Larry Grand, Plant Pathology; and Dr. Angela Fraser, Family and Consumer Sciences; North Carolina State University. All Pictures Copyright @1997Alice B. Russell, James W. Hardin, Larry Grand. Computer programming, Miguel A. Buendia; graphics, Brad Capel.

Disclaimer: The list of poisonous plants on this web site does not necessarily include every poisonous plant that is known, or that might be found in an urban landscape or home. North Carolina State University does not advise eating any of the plants included in this web site. The information concerning edibility is taken from the literature, and the degree of reliability is unknown. We discourage the use of any of these plants for self medication. In cases of accidental exposure or ingestion, contact the Poison Control Center 1-800-222-1222.

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