rosy periwinkle 'rō-zē- n a commonly cultivated shrub (Catharanthus roseus syn. 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
Medical dictionary. 2011.