Gomphocarpus physocarpus E. Mey., Asclepiadaceae

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Present on Pacific Islands?  yes

Threat only at high elevations?  no

Risk assessment results:  Reject, score: 6 (Go to the risk assessment)

Other Latin names:  Asclepias physocarpa (E. Mey.) Schlechter

Common name(s): [more details]

English: balloon cottonbush, balloon plant, bladderbush, 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:  Southern Africa.

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	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 Tuamotu Archipelago	Niau Atoll		Bishop Museum (Honolulu) (1990) (voucher ID: BISH 633769) Taxon name on voucher: Asclepias physocarpa (E.Mey.) Schltr.
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)	Australia (continental)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007) Hong Kong

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)	Mauritius Island	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2007)

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).

Additional information:  Information from the book "Weeds of Hawaii‘s Pastures and Natural Areas; An Identification and Management Guide" (Motooka et al., 2003). (PDF format).

Additional online information about Gomphocarpus physocarpus is available from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR).

Taxonomic information about Gomphocarpus physocarpus may be available from the Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN).

References:

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1987. Voucher specimen #BISH 558140 (Florence, J. 8551).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1988. Voucher specimen #BISH 1000315 (W.L.Wagner 6251).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1990. Voucher specimen #BISH 633769 (Florence 10115).

Bishop Museum (Honolulu). 1990. Voucher specimen #BISH 665085 (Sykes, W.R. 467167).

Gargominy, Oliver/Bouchet, Philipe/Pascal, Michel/Jaffre, Tanguy/Tourneu, Jean-Christophe. 1996. Conséquences des introductions d'espèces animales et végétales sur la biodiversité en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Rev. Ecol. (Terre Vie) 51:375-401.

MacKee, H. S. 1994. Catalogue des plantes introduites et cultivées en Nouvelle-Calédonie. Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, 164 p.

Meyer, Jean-Yves. 2000. Preliminary review of the invasive plants in the Pacific islands (SPREP Member Countries). In: Sherley, G. (tech. ed.). Invasive species in the Pacific: A technical review and draft regional strategy. South Pacific Regional Environment Programme, Samoa. 190 pp.

Motooka, Philip/Castro, Luisa/Nelson, Duane/ Nagai, Guy/Ching, Lincoln. 2003. Weeds of Hawaii‘s Pastures and Natural Areas; An Identification and Management Guide. College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa. 184 pp.

Motooka, Philip/Ching, Lincoln/Nagai, Guy. 2002. Herbicidal Weed Control Methods for Pasture and Natural Areas of Hawaii. Cooperative Extension Service, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawai‘i. CTAHR free publication WC-8.

Oppenheimer, Hank. 2007. New plant records from Moloka‘i, Lāna‘i, Maui, and Hawai‘i for 2006. In: Evenhuis, Neal L. and Eldredge, Lucias G., eds. Records of the Hawaii Biological Survey for 2006. Part 2: Notes. Bishop Museum Occasional Papers 96:17-34.

Orchard, Anthony E., ed. 1994. Flora of Australia. Vol. 49, Oceanic islands 1. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.

Sykes, Bill. 0. Bill Sykes, pers. com.

U. S. Government. 2006. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2007. National Genetic Resources Program. Germplasm Resources Information Network (GRIN). Online searchable database.

Wagner, Warren L./Herbst, Derral R./Sohmer, S. H. 1999. Manual of the flowering plants of Hawaii. Revised edition. Bernice P. Bishop Museum special publication. University of Hawai‘i Press/Bishop Museum Press, Honolulu. 1919 pp. (two volumes).