rosy periwinkle
noun
: a commonly cultivated subshrub (Catharanthus roseus synonym Vinca rosea) of the dogbane family that is native to the Old World tropics and is the source of several antineoplastic drugs
called also Madagascar periwinkle, periwinkle
Examples of rosy periwinkle in a Sentence
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Decades ago, a US pharmaceutical company developed anticancer drugs with the help of a plant from Madagascar called the rosy periwinkle; the company didn’t share its profits with the people of Madagascar.
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Benji Jones, Vox, 20 Sep. 2024
Extolling the many benefits of plants, Goodall juxtaposes horticultural history with more recent biomedical innovations, such as the role of rosy periwinkle as a potent weapon against childhood leukemia.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 22 Oct. 2013
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Benji Jones, Vox, 20 Sep. 2024
Extolling the many benefits of plants, Goodall juxtaposes horticultural history with more recent biomedical innovations, such as the role of rosy periwinkle as a potent weapon against childhood leukemia.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 22 Oct. 2013
Cite this Entry
“Rosy periwinkle.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/rosy%20periwinkle. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
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rosy periwinkle
noun
: a commonly cultivated shrub (Catharanthus roseus synonym Vinca rosea) of the dogbane family (Apocynaceae) that is native to the Old World tropics and is the source of several antineoplastic drugs (as vinblastine and vincristine)
called also Madagascar periwinkle, periwinkle
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