Nayantara Plant

The local name of this bushy flowering plant is NAYANTARA. The scientific name of nayantara is Catharanthus roseus and it is from the family Apocynaceae. The English common name of this plant is Rose Periwinkle, Old-Maid or Madagascar Periwinkle. As its name suggest, it is a native of Madagascar, but now widely distributed throughout tropical zones including Bangladesh. Periwinkle is an herbaceous perennial shrub and also cultivated for its ornamental properties. It normally attain a height of 60-80 cms, got a habit of becoming leggy in shady areas. The leaf juice or water decoction of Catharanthus roseus is used as a folk medicine for the treatment of diabetes all over the world.