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 physocarpa (E. Mey.) Schlechter

Common name(s): [more details]

Chinese: dun ding tou guo

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	Fatu Hiva Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2008)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced invasive	Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. (2008)
French Polynesia Marquesas Islands	Nuku Hiva (Nukahiva) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) 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. (2008)
French Polynesia Society Islands	Tahiti Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Makatea (Ma‘atea) Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Tuamotu Archipelago	Niau Atoll	introduced cultivated	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) 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. (2011) Naturalisée
French Polynesia Austral (Tubuai) Islands	Rurutu Island	introduced invasive	Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. (2011) 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)	Australia (continental)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011)
Australia Australia (continental)	Queensland	introduced invasive	Queensland Herbarium (2002) (p. 4)
China China	China (People's Republic of)	introduced	U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. (2011) Hong Kong
China China	Hong Kong	introduced cultivated	Wu, Te-lin (2001) (p. 215)

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. (2011)

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:
Excerpt 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).

Information about Gomphocarpus physocarpus as a weed (worldwide references) may be available from the Global Compendium of Weeds (GCW).

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).

Florence, J./Chevillotte, H./Ollier, C./Meyer, J.-Y. 2011. Base de données botaniques Nadeaud de l'Herbier de la Polynésie Française (PAP). (online resource).

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.

Lorence, David H./Wagner, Warren L. 2008. Flora of the Marquesas Islands. National Tropical Botanical Garden and the Smithsonian Institution. Online database.

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.

Queensland Herbarium. 2002. Invasive Naturalised Plants in Southeast Queensland, alphabetical by genus. Modified from: Batianoff, George N. and Butler, Don W. (2002). Assessment of Invasive naturalized plants in south-east Queensland. Appendix. Plant Protection Quarterly 17, 27-34. 11 pp.

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

U. S. Government. 2011. Integrated Taxonomic Information System (ITIS) (on-line resource).

U.S. Dept. Agr., Agr. Res. Serv. 2011. 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).

Wu, Te-lin. 2001. Check List of Hong Kong Plants. Hong Kong Herbarium and the South China Institute of Botany. Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department Bulletin 1 (revised). 384 pp.

Zhengyi, Wu/Raven, Peter H./Deyuan, Hong. 2011. Flora of China (online resource).