Gomphocarpus physocarpus E. Mey., Apocynaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Primarily a threat at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results: 

Reject, score: 6 (Go to the risk assessment (Australia))
High risk, score: 8 (Go to the risk assessment (Pacific))

Other Latin names:  Asclepias brasiliensis (E. Fourn.) Schltr.; Asclepias physocarpa (E. Mey.) Schlechter; Gomphocarpus brasiliensis E. Fourn.

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: dun ding tou guo

English: balloon cottonbush, balloon plant, bladderbush, cottonbush, narrow-leaf cottonbush, swanplant, wild cotton

Habit:  shrub

Description:  "Sparingly branched perennial herbs 1-2 m tall, becoming somewhat woody at base, glabrate or puberulent. Leaves opposite, linear-lanceolate to lanceolate, (3.5-) 5-12 (-13) cm long, 0.3-2 cm wide, petioles 0.1-1 cm long. Flowers in axillary umbellate cymes, pedicels 1-2 cm long; corolla white, the lobes ovate, 8-10 mm long, reflexed, ciliate; corona white, the segments erect, strongly compressed laterally, without an internal horn. Follicles ovoid, strongly inflated, 4-7 cm long, 2.5-5 cm in diameter, covered with long soft bristles" (Wagner et al., 1999; p. 240).

Habitat/ecology:  In Hawai‘i, naturalized in low elevation, dry habitats, occasionally up to 1,830 m (Wagner et al, 1999; p. 240). In New Caledonia, "d'introduction apparemment récente, cette plante se dissémine très vite" (MacKee, 1994; p. 20).

Propagation:  "Seeds readily spread by wind"  (Motooka et al., 2003).

Native range:  Mozambique, South Africa, Swaziland; naturalized elsewhere (GRIN).

Presence:

Pacific
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia (Pacific offshore islands) Norfolk Islands	Norfolk Island	introduced invasive	Orchard, Anthony E., ed. (1994) (p. 7) "Fairly common as a weed of neglected pasture, roadsides etc." Vouchers cited: W.R. Sykes NI 544 (CHR), P.S. Green 1494 (A), W.R. Sykes NI 629 (CHR), R.M. Laing s.n. (CHR), J.D. McComish 58/A (K)
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Mangaia Island	cultivated	Sykes, Bill (year unknown) Cultivated and a rare adventive.
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island	cultivated	Sykes, Bill (year unknown) Cultivated and a rare adventive.
Cook Islands Southern Cook Islands	Rarotonga Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1990) (voucher ID: BISH 665085) Taxon name on voucher: Gomphocarpus physocarpus
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Fatu Hiva Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1987) (voucher ID: BISH 558140) Taxon name on voucher: Asclepias physocarpa (E.Mey.) Schltr.
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1988) (voucher ID: BISH 1000315) Taxon name on voucher: Asclepias physocarpa (E.Mey.) Schltr.
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Ua Huka (Huahuna, Uahuka) Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2013)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Makatea (Ma‘atea) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Niau Atoll	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Voucher cited: J. Florence 10115 (PAP). "Ornementale rare".
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Niau Atoll		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1990) (voucher ID: BISH 633769) Taxon name on voucher: Asclepias physocarpa (E.Mey.) Schltr.
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rimatara (Rimitara) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rurutu Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2013) Naturalisée
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Hawai‘i (Big) Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 240)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaho‘olawe Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 240)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Kaua‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 240)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Lāna‘i Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 240)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Maui Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 240)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	Moloka‘i Island	introduced invasive	Oppenheimer, Hank (2007) (p. 20) Voucher cited: Oppenheimer H80507 (BISH, PTBG)
State of Hawaii Hawaiian Islands	O‘ahu Island	introduced invasive	Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. (1999) (p. 240)
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands	introduced	Meyer, Jean-Yves (2000) (p. 100) "Potential invader".
New Caledonia New Caledonia	New Caledonia Islands	introduced	Gargominy, Oliver/Bouchet, Philipe/Pascal, Michel/Jaffre, Tanguy/Tourneu, Jean-Christophe (1996) (p. 379) Se dissémine très vite.
New Caledonia New Caledonia Archipelago	Île Grande Terre	introduced invasive cultivated	MacKee, H. S. (1994) (p. 20) Vouchers cited: MacKee 38327, Létocart in MacKee 38723, Cherrier in MacKee 40708 Spontané

Pacific Rim
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Australia Australia (continental)	New South Wales	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) Common in waste places and on river banks. Naturalised
Australia Australia (continental)	Australia (continental)	introduced invasive	National Herbarium of New South Wales (2013) South Australia Naturalised
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Queensland Herbarium (2002) (p. 4)
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Costa Rica (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	El Salvador (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Honduras (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
Central America Central America (Pacific rim)	Panama (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Hong Kong
China China	Hong Kong	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
China China	Hong Kong	introduced cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 215)
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Colombia	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Ecuador (Republic of) (continental)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
South America (Pacific rim) South America (Pacific rim)	Perú (Republic of)	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized

Indian Ocean
Country/Terr./St. & Island group	Location	Cited status & Cited as invasive & Cited as cultivated & Cited as aboriginal introduction?	Reference & Comments
Mauritius Mautitius Islands (Mauritius and Rodrigues)	Rodrigues Island	introduced invasive	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2013) Naturalized
Seychelles Seychelles Islands	Seychelles Islands	introduced	Invasive Species Specialist Group (2017)

Control: 

Physical: "Goats will control balloon plant (An Peishel)" (Motooka et al., 2003).

Chemical: Mature plants tolerant to herbicides. Higher, unstated rates of metsulfuron reported effective (A. Teshima, DuPont). May require crop oil carrier with ester formulation dicot killer (Motooka et al., 2003).