Family:
Apocynaceae Juss.
Genus:
Gomphocarpus R.Br.

Gomphocarpus fruticosus (L.) W.T.Aiton

This species is accepted, and its native range is Eritrea to S. Africa, Arabian Peninsula. It is used to treat unspecified medicinal disorders, has environmental uses, as animal food and a medicine and for food.

[UNAL]

Bernal, R., G. Galeano, A. Rodríguez, H. Sarmiento y M. Gutiérrez. 2017. Nombres Comunes de las Plantas de Colombia. http://www.biovirtual.unal.edu.co/nombrescomunes/

Vernacular
bolsa de lobo, bolsa de pastor, esponjilla, globitos, globos, vejigo, vejigón

[CPLC]

Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Distribution
Naturalizada y adventicia en Colombia; Alt. 1540 - 2100 m.; Andes.
Morphology General Habit
Subarbusto
Conservation
No Evaluada

[FTEA]

Apocynaceae (part 2), David Goyder, Timothy Harris, Siro Masinde, Ulrich Meve, Johan Venter. Flora of Tropical East Africa, 2012

Morphology General Habit
Shrubby perennial herb 0.5–1.5(–3) m tall, arising from a tap root.
Morphology Stem
Stems erect, much branched from above the base, woody below, densely spreading-pubescent, sometimes shortly tomentose on young shoots
Morphology Leaves
Leaves opposite; petiole 1–10 mm long, pubescent; lamina coriaceous, linear or linear-lanceolate, (2.5–)4–12 × (0.2–)0.3–0.8(–1.3) cm, apex acute or attenuate, mucronate, base narrowly to broadly cuneate, margins smooth, plane or somewhat revolute in northern part of the range, sparsely to densely pubescent with soft white hairs on the midrib and margins
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences extra-axillary with 4–7(–12) flowers in a nodding umbel.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Peduncles
Peduncles 1.5–3(–4) cm long, pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences Bracts
Bracts filiform, deciduous.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals lanceolate or triangular, 2–5 × 0.6–1.3 mm, attenuate, pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla reflexed, glabrous outside, minutely papillate and frequently with long white hairs along the right margin within; lobes ovate, 5–8 × 3–5 mm, subacute.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corona
Corona lobes attached 1–1.5 mm above base of staminal column, quadrate, 2–4 × 1.5–3 mm, laterally compressed, complicate, ± as tall as the column, the upper margins entire, proximal margins produced into a pair of falcate teeth 1–1.5 mm long, pointing back along the upper margins of the lobe or curved down into the cavity, cavity without teeth or projections
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens Anthers
Anther wings 1.5–2 mm long, margins not curved; corpusculum brown, subcylindrical, 0.3 × 0.1–0.15 mm; translator arms ± 0.3–0.4 × 0.1 mm, flattened.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pollinia
Pollinia oblong or oblanceolate in outline, 1.2–1.3 × 0.3 mm, flattened
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Stylar head flat
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Pedicel
Fruiting pedicel contorted to hold follicle erect. Pedicels 1–2.5 cm long, pubescent.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Follicle ovoid, 4–7 × 1.5–2.5 cm, tapering gradually or abruptly into an attenuate beak, strongly or weakly inflated, pubescent, with or without pubescent filiform processes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds ovate, 3.5–5 × 2 mm, with one convex and one concave face, verrucose; coma ± 3 cm long
Figures
Figs. 103/1 & 104/1, pp 424 & 425
Note
Bullock’s circumscription of G. fruticosus was very much wider than that used here. The specimens cited in F.W.T.A. ed. 2, 2: 92 (1963) are now referred to G. abyssinicus. Goyder & Nicholas in K.B. 56: 782 (2001) recognised five regional subspecies across Africa and Arabia, of which only subsp. flavidus occurs within the F.T.E.A. area.

[FWTA]

Asclepiadaceae, A. A. Bullock. Flora of West Tropical Africa 2. 1963

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herb up to 6 ft.high
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Cream flowers
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
The fruits are not inflated
Ecology
In savanna grassland.

[FSOM]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Stems 0.5–1.5(–3) m tall, erect, much branched from above the base, woody below, densely spreading-­pubescent
Morphology Leaves
Leaves with blade (2.5–)4–10 x (0.2–)0.3–0.8(–1.3) cm, linear or linear-lanceolate, apex acute or attenuate, mucronate, base narrowly to broadly cuneate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Inflorescences with 4–7(–12) flowers; peduncles 1.5–3(–4) cm long; pedicels 1–2.5 cm long
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Sepals 2–5 x 0.6–1.3 mm, lanceolate or triangular, attenuate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Corolla reflexed; lobes 5–8 x 3–5 mm, ovate, subacute
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corona
Corona-lobes 2–4 x 1.5–3 mm, ± as tall as the column, the upper margins entire, proximal margins produced into a pair of falcate teeth c. 1–1.5 mm long, pointing back along the upper margins of the lobe or curved down into the cavity, cavity without teeth or projections
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Follicle 4–7 x 1.5–2.5 cm, ovoid, tapering gradually into an attenuate beak, inflated, pubescent and with pubescent filiform processes.

[UPFC]
Distribution
Biogeografic region: Andean. Elevation range: 1540–2100 m a.s.l. Naturalised in Colombia. Colombian departments: Antioquia, Boyacá, Norte de Santander.
Habit
Subshrub.
Ecology
Habitat according IUCN Habitats Classification: forest and woodland, shrubland, artificial - terrestrial.

[UPB]

The Useful Plants of Boyacá project

Distribution
Introduced and naturalised in Colombia.
Conservation
Not Evaluated.
Morphology General Habit
Subshrub.
Ecology
Alt. 1540 - 2100 m.

[UPFC]
Use Animal Food
Used as animal food.
Use Environmental
Environmental uses.
Use Gene Sources
Used as gene sources.
Use Food
Used for food.
Use Materials
Used as material.
Use Medicines
Medical uses.

[UPB]
Use Medicines Unspecified Medicinal Disorders
Medicinal (State of the World's Plants 2016).

Native to:

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 into:

Albania, Algeria, Argentina Northeast, Azores, Baleares, Brazil North, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, California, Canary Is., China South-Central, China Southeast, Colombia, Corse, Cyprus, East Aegean Is., France, Greece, India, Italy, Kermadec Is., Kriti, Lebanon-Syria, Madeira, Mauritius, Morocco, New South Wales, New Zealand North, New Zealand South, Portugal, Queensland, Réunion, Sardegna, Seychelles, Sicilia, South Australia, Spain, Suriname, Transcaucasus, Tunisia, Turkey, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yugoslavia

Gomphocarpus fruticosus (L.) W.T.Aiton appears in other Kew resources:

Date Reference Identified As Barcode Type Status Has image?
Marnies-Lapostolle, J., Portugal 30750.000 No
McWhirter, J. [33], Madagascar 31888.000 No
McWhirter, J. [47], Madagascar 32219.000 No
Ross, C. [2], Madagascar 59855.000 No

First published in Hortus Kew. 2: 80 (1811)

Accepted by

  • Autrey, J.C., Bosser, J. & Ferguson, I.K. (eds.) (2005). Flore des Mascareignes 121-126: 1. IRD Éditions, MSIRI, RBG-Kew, Paris.
  • Berhaut, J. (1971). Flore illustrée du Sénégal 1: 1-626. Gouvernement du Sénégal, Ministère du développement rural direction des eaux et forêta, Dakar.
  • Bruyns, P.V. (2014). The Apocynaceae of Namibia Strelitzia 34: 1-158. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Castle, G.E. in Friedmann, F. (1994). Flore des Seychelles Dicotylédones: 1-663. ORSTOM éditions.
  • Davis, P.H. (ed.) (1978). Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands 6: 1-825. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.
  • Dobignard, A. & Chatelain, C. (2011). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 2: 1-429. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
  • Figueiredo, E. & Smith, G.F. (2008). Plants of Angola Strelitzia 22: 1-279. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Germishuizen, G. & Meyer, N.L. (eds.) (2003). Plants of Southern Africa an annotated checklist Strelitzia 14: 1-1231. National Botanical Institute, Pretoria.
  • Ghazanfar, S.A. (1992). An Annotated Catalogue of the Vascular Plants of Oman and their Vernacular names Scripta Botanica Belgica 2: 1-153.
  • Govaerts, R. (2003). World Checklist of Seed Plants Database in ACCESS G: 1-40325.
  • Goyder, D.J., Gilbert, M.G. & Venter, H.J.T. (2020). Flora Zambesiaca 7(3): 1-375. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Goyder, S., Harris, T., Masinde, S., Meve, U. & Venter, J. (2012). Flora of Tropical East Africa, Apocynaceae(2): 1-530.
  • H?, P.-H. (1993). Câyc? Vi?tnam. An Illustrated flora of Vietnam 2(2): 611-1191. Pham-hoang Ho, Montréal.
  • Hepper, F.N. (ed.) (1963). Flora of West Tropical Africa, ed. 2, 2: 1-544.
  • Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.
  • Jagtap, A.P. & Singh, N.P. (1999). Fascicles of Flora of India 24: 1-332. Botanical Survey of India, New Delhi.
  • Lisowski, S. (2009). Flore (Angiospermes) de la République de Guinée Scripta Botanica Belgica 41: 1-517.
  • Masharabu, T., Bigendako, M.J., Lejoly, J., Nkengurutse, J., Noret, N., Bizuru, E. & Bogaert, J. (2010). Etude analytique de la flore et de la végétation du Parc National de la Ruvubu, Burundi International Journal of Biological and Chemical Sciences 4: 834-856.
  • Orchard, A.E. (ed.) (1996). Flora of Australia 28: 1-335. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
  • Thulin, M. (ed.) (2006). Flora of Somalia 3: 1-626. The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1972). Flora Europaea 3: 1-370. Cambridge University Press.
  • Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (1995). Flora of China 16: 1-479. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.

Literature

Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

  • Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R. & Celis, M. (eds.). 2015. Catálogo de plantas y líquenes de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Bogotá. http://catalogoplantasdecolombia.unal.edu.co

Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

  • Kew Medicinal Plant Names Services (MPNS) https://www.kew.org/science/data-and-resources/tools-and-services/medicinal-plant-names-services in The State of the World’s Plants Report–2016. (2016). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew https://stateoftheworldsplants.org

Flora of West Tropical Africa

  • Bullock in Kew Bull. 7: 406 (1952).
  • Hort. Kew ed. 2, 2: 80 (1811)

Kew Backbone Distributions

  • Authier, P. & Covillot, J. (2011). Catalogue actualisé des plantes de l'île de Rhodes (Grèce) Saussurea; Travaux de la Société Botanique de Genève 41: 131-170.
  • Autrey, J.C., Bosser, J. & Ferguson, I.K. (eds.) (2005). Flore des Mascareignes 121-126: 1. IRD Éditions, MSIRI, RBG-Kew, Paris.
  • Boggan, J. Funck, V. & Kelloff, C. (1997). Checklist of the Plants of the Guianas (Guyana, Surinam, Franch Guiana) ed. 2: 1-238. University of Guyana, Georgetown.
  • Castle, G.E. in Friedmann, F. (1994). Flore des Seychelles Dicotylédones: 1-663. ORSTOM éditions.
  • Davis, P.H. (ed.) (1978). Flora of Turkey and the East Aegean Islands 6: 1-825. Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh.
  • Dobignard, A. & Chatelain, C. (2011). Index synonymique de la flore d'Afrique du nord 2: 1-429. Éditions des conservatoire et jardin botaniques, Genève.
  • Forzza, R.C. & al. (2012). Lista de Espécies da Flora do Brasil http://floradobrasil.jbrj.gov.br/2010/.
  • Goyder, D.J., Gilbert, M.G. & Venter, H.J.T. (2020). Flora Zambesiaca 7(3): 1-375. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.
  • Greuter, W., Burdet, H.M. & Long, G. (eds.) in Greuter, W., Burdet, H.M., & Long, G. (1984). Med-checklist 3: Dicotyledones (Convolvulaceae - Labiatae) 1: 1-330. Conservatoire et Jardin botaniques, Ville de Genève.
  • H?, P.-H. (1993). Câyc? Vi?tnam. An Illustrated flora of Vietnam 2(2): 611-1191. Pham-hoang Ho, Montréal.
  • Hokche, O., Berry, P.E. & Huber, O. (eds.) (2008). Nuevo Catálogo de la Flora Vascular de Venezuela: 1-859. Fundación Instituto Botánico de Venezuela.
  • Jagtap, A.P. & Singh, N.P. (1999). Fascicles of Flora of India 24: 1-332. Botanical Survey of India, New Delhi.
  • Orchard, A.E. (ed.) (1996). Flora of Australia 28: 1-335. Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra.
  • Tutin, T.G. & al. (eds.) (1972). Flora Europaea 3: 1-370. Cambridge University Press.
  • USDA, NRCS (2005-continuously updated). Natural Resources Conservation Services Plant Database http://plants.usda.gov/cgi_bin/topics.cgi?earl=checklist.html.
  • Vvedensky, A.I. (ed.) (1961). Flora Uzbekistana 5: 1-667. Izd-va Akademii nauk Uzbekskoi SSR, Tashkent.
  • Wu, Z. & Raven, P.H. (eds.) (1995). Flora of China 16: 1-479. Missouri Botanical Garden Press, St. Louis.
  • Zuloaga, F.O., Morrone, O. , Belgrano, M.J., Marticorena, C. & Marchesi, E. (eds.) (2008). Catálogo de las Plantas Vasculares del Cono Sur Monographs in Systematic Botany from the Missouri Botanical Garden 107: 1-3348. Missouri Botanical Garden.

Flora of Somalia

  • Flora Somalia, Vol 3, (2006) Author: by D. Goyder [updated by M. Thulin 2008]
  • Pickering, H. & Awale, A. I. (2018). Introduction to plants in Central Somaliland. Ponte Invisibile, Redsea Cultural Foundation.

Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

  • Bernal, R., Gradstein, S.R., & Celis, M. (eds.). (2020). Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia. v1.1. Universidad Nacional de Colombia. Dataset/Checklist. https://doi.org/10.15472/7avdhn
  • Diazgranados et al. (2021). Catalogue of plants of Colombia. Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia project. In prep.
  • Diazgranados, M., Allkin, B., Black N., Cámara-Leret, R., Canteiro C., Carretero J., Eastwood R., Hargreaves S., Hudson A., Milliken W., Nesbitt, M., Ondo, I., Patmore, K., Pironon, S., Turner, R., Ulian, T. (2020). World Checklist of Useful Plant Species. Produced by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity.
  • FPI (2021). Food Plants International. https://fms.cmsvr.com/fmi/webd/Food_Plants_World?homeurl=https://foodplantsinternational.com/plants/
  • GBIF.org (2021). GBIF species matching tool. https://www.gbif.org/tools/species-lookup
  • Medicinal Plant Names Services (MPNS) v.10 (2021); http://mpns.kew.org/
  • PROTA (2021). Plants Resources of Tropical Africa. https://prota4u.org/database/
  • RBG, Kew (ed.) (1999). Survey of Economic Plants for Arid and Semi-Arid Lands (SEPASAL) database. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London.
  • Willis, K.J. (ed.) (2017). State of the World’s Plants 2017. Report. Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

Flora of Tropical East Africa

  • Fl. Eth. 4(1): 121 (2003)
  • Fl. Somalia 3: 145 (2006).

  • Art and Illustrations in Digifolia

    Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew

  • Catálogo de Plantas y Líquenes de Colombia

    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Colombian resources for Plants made Accessible

    ColPlantA 2021. Published on the Internet at http://colplanta.org
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Flora of Somalia

    Flora of Somalia
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    Flora of Tropical East Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Flora of West Tropical Africa

    Flora of West Tropical Africa
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    Digital Image © Board of Trustees, RBG Kew http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families 2022. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and http://apps.kew.org/wcsp/
    © Copyright 2017 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Selected Plant Families. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0

  • Kew Science Photographs

    Copyright applied to individual images

  • Universidad Nacional de Colombia

    ColPlantA database
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants and Fungi of Colombia

    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0

  • Useful Plants of Boyacá Project

    ColPlantA database
    http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0