Balloon Cottonbush
Gomphocarpus physocarpus
Also known as Balloon Plant
- Habit
- Undershrub
- Found in India
- Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu & more
- Flowering
- May-December
Plant Details
- Scientific name
- Gomphocarpus physocarpus
- Genus
- Gomphocarpus
- Family
- Asclepiadaceae
- Habit
- Undershrub
- Habitat
- Garden plant
- Habitat type
- Cultivated
- Native to
- South Africa
- Distribution
- Tropics of the World, Southern Africa
- Found in India
- Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Sikkim, Assam, Goa, West Bengal
- Flowering & fruiting
- May-December
- Conservation status
- Not Evaluated (NE)
Leaf characters
- Leaf shape
- LanceolaterecordedLong and narrow, tapering to a point, like a lance head.“Gomphocarpus physocarpus is an undershrub perennial herb, that can grow to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) tall with narrow lanceolate leaves.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Arrangement
- Opposite
Characters marked “recorded” are for Balloon Cottonbush itself; the rest are typical of the Asclepiadaceae family.
Flower & fruit characters
- Flower colour
- Whiterecorded
- Fruit type
- FolliclerecordedA dry pod that splits open along a single seam.“The follicle (a type of fruit) is a pale green, in shape an inflated spheroid, and filled with air.” — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Typical of the family
- Flower symmetry
- Actinomorphic (radially symmetrical)
- Inflorescence
- Cyme
- Fruit
- Follicle
Characters marked “recorded” are for Balloon Cottonbush itself; the rest are typical of the Asclepiadaceae family — flowering plants only.
About Balloon Cottonbush
Balloon cottonbush (Gomphocarpus physocarpus) is a low shrub in the Asclepiadaceae family. In India it has been recorded in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and 7 other states. It grows in garden plant. Flowering and fruiting run from May to December.
Uses
It is planted as an ornamental. Parts of this plant are reported as poisonous — treat it as unsafe to eat and wash your hands after handling.
Asclepiadaceae
Milkweed Family
Balloon Cottonbush belongs to the Asclepiadaceae family.
The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.
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