Common name: Balloon Cotton Bush
Gomphocarpus physocarpus E.Mey. APNI* Synonyms: Asclepias physocarpa (E.Mey.) APNI*
Description: Shrub 0.5–2 m high, stems few, finely hairy when young.
Leaves with lamina linear to narrow-lanceolate, 4–7 cm long, 0.6–2 cm wide, soft, smooth, tapering to a fine point, base attenuate; petiole 3–10 mm long.
Umbels 5–10-flowered; pedicels slender, 10–20 mm long. Flowers 12–13 mm diam., pendent. Corolla lobes ovate, ciliate, 6–7 mm long.FRUITS: Follicles globose or subglobose, 5–7.5 cm long, 4–5.5 cm diam., not falcate, abruptly pointed, terminal beak very short, inconspicuous, sunken into indented tip.
Flowering: spring–autumn.
Distribution and occurrence: Common in waste places and on river banks; north from Camden district. Native of S Afr.
NSW subdivisions: *NC, *CC, *CWS
Other Australian states: *Qld *S.A.
Text by G. J. Harden & J. B. Williams
Taxon concept: Flora of NSW 3 (1992)
APNI* Provides a link to the Australian Plant Name Index (hosted by the Australian National Botanic Gardens) for comprehensive bibliographic data
***The AVH map option provides a detailed interactive Australia wide distribution map drawn from collections held by all major Australian herbaria participating in the Australian Virtual Herbarium project.
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