Gomphocarpus fruticosus
Milkweed, Narrow Leaf Cotton Bush
Other regional names: Swan Plant
- Swan Plant
Also known as: Asclepias longifolia Sessé & Moc. +2 more
- Asclepias longifolia Sessé & Moc.
- Gomphocarpus frutescens E.Mey.
- Gomphocarpus niveus Bojer ex Baker
Botanical Data
- Taxonomic Rank: Species
- Botanical Family: Apocynaceae
- WCVP Morphological Data: Recorded natively as a subshrub or shrub.
Find Reference Images
Google-powered external web search for Gomphocarpus fruticosus
Indigenous to Africa and Temperate Asia, Gomphocarpus fruticosus (commonly known as Milkweed or Narrow-Leaf Cotton Bush) is a shrub belonging to the Apocynaceae family. Within its native range, this species is primarily associated with seasonally dry tropical conditions. There are naturally occurring subspecies of this species, which are linked below.
Macro Climate
Tropical
Plant Type
Shrub
Native Range
Continents (WGSRPD)
AFRICA, ASIA-TEMPERATE
Regions (WGSRPD)
Arabian Peninsula, East Tropical Africa, Northeast Tropical Africa, South Tropical Africa, Southern Africa
Botanical Countries (WGSRPD L3)
Angola, Botswana, Cape Provinces, Caprivi Strip, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Free State, Kenya, KwaZulu-Natal, Lesotho, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Northern Provinces, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Swaziland, Uganda, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Introduced Range
An “Introduced” distribution indicates that the plant is recorded outside its native range in that region as a result of deliberate or accidental human introduction. Introduced records may include casual, naturalized or invasive populations, but do not include plants that are only cultivated or planted without self-sustaining populations.
Botanical Countries (Non-Native)
Albania, Algeria, Argentina Northeast, Argentina Northwest, Azores, Baleares, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, California, Canary Is., China South-Central, China Southeast, Colombia, Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., France, Greece, India, Italy, Jamaica, Kermadec Is., Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, Madagascar, Madeira, Mauritius, Mexico Gulf, Morocco, New South Wales, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, Portugal, Queensland, Réunion, Sardegna, Seychelles, Sicilia, South Australia, Spain, Surinam, Tasmania, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Victoria, Vietnam, Western Australia, Yugoslavia
Subspecies, Varieties & Forms