Changes

:Family: Apocynaceae

== Origin and geographic distribution ==

The aerial parts of ''Catharanthus trichophyllus'' contain mainly monomeric indole alkaloids, of which vindoline is the most important; tetrahydroalstonine, catharanthine, serpentine and vindolinine occur as minor components. The roots contain mainly serpentine, and minor components are the dimeric vincristine, but also the monomeric ajmalicine, catharanthine, lochnericine, hörhammericine, tetrahydroalstonine and cathaphylline. All alkaloids in the roots and leaves occur in lower amounts than in ''Catharanthus roseus'' (L.) G.Don. Lochnericine and hörhammericine are responsible for part of the cytotoxic activity.

Undershrub up to 1 m tall, with white latex and a rather unpleasant smell; stems and branches reddish to purple, quadrangular, winged. Leaves opposite, simple and entire, almost sessile; stipules 2–5 at each side of the leaf base; blade oblong to narrowly ovate, 2.5–8.5 cm × 1–4 cm, base rounded to cuneate, apex acuminate, herbaceous, margin ciliate, more or less hairy on both sides. Inflorescence axillary, 1–2-flowered. Flowers bisexual, 5-merous, regular; pedicel 4–11 mm long, quadrangular; sepals slightly fused at base, 6–10 mm long, apex long-acuminate; corolla tube cylindrical, 22–26 mm long, widening near the insertion of the stamens, throat constricted, with a ring of hairs just below the throat and another below the insertion of the stamens, glabrous or laxly hairy, green, pinkish at base, lobes narrowly obovate, 8–18 mm long, densely shortly hairy at base, spreading, white, pink, red, purple, yellowish at the base; stamens inserted just below the corolla throat, included, filaments very short; ovary superior, consisting of 2 very narrowly oblong carpels, style slender, 14–19 mm long, pistil head cylindrical with a ring of woolly hairs, stigma minute. Fruit composed of 2 free cylindrical follicles 3–7 cm long, striate, glabrous to laxly hairy, green to purplish green, dehiscent, 10–20-seeded. Seeds oblong, 2.5–3 mm long, grooved at one side, dark brown. Seedling with epigeal germination.

''Catharanthus'' comprises 8 species, all originating from Madagascar except for ''Catharanthus pusillus'' (Murr.) G.Don, which is restricted to India and Sri Lanka. ''Catharanthus trichophyllus'' flowers and fruits from July to May.

== Correct citation of this article ==