Kanupoolaku / Indian Periwinkle
Catharanthus pusillus
- Habit
- Herb
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan & more
- Flowering
- July-January
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Catharanthus pusillus
- Genus
- Catharanthus
- Family
- Apocynaceae
- Habit
- Herb
- Habitat
- Weed of cultivation and colonizer
- Habitat type
- Cultivated, Wasteland
- Distribution
- India, Sri Lanka
- Found in India
- Karnataka, Telangana, Rajasthan, Kerala, Gujarat, Maharashtra
- Flowering & fruiting
- July-January
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Arrangement
- Opposite
Typical of the Apocynaceae family — a field-mark hint, not measured for this exact species.
Flower & fruit characters
Typical of the Apocynaceae family — flowering plants only; individual species can differ.
Local Names
- Tamil
- Paalaich, chetthai, milakaych chakkalatti, மிளகாய் நங்கை
- Telugu
- kanupoolaku, erri mirapa, gulvidi
- Kannada
- ಬಿಳಿಕಾಸಿಕಣಗಿಲು
- Malayalam
- chupa-vela
- Marathi
- संगखी Sangkhi, रान केल Ran-kel, तिलोनी Tiloni
About Kanupoolaku
Indian Periwinkle (Catharanthus pusillus) is a herb belonging to the Apocynaceae family (Dogbane family). Members of this family are generally characterised by opposite/whorled simple leaves, cymose/umbellate flower clusters, follicle pair fruit. It is typically found in weed of cultivation and colonizer. It occurs across India, Sri Lanka. Flowering and fruiting are typically seen during July-January.
Apocynaceae
Dogbane family
Kanupoolaku belongs to the Apocynaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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