Gomphocarpus swynnertonii (S. Moore) Goyder & Nicholas

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Western slope Mt Shangani, eastern Chimanimani Mts.

Photo: Bart Wursten
Towards Eastern ridge, Chimanimani mountains

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Synonyms:	Asclepias nyikana Schltr. Asclepias swynnertonii S. Moore
Common names:
Frequency:
Status:	Native
Description:	Perennial herb, growing from a woody taproot. Stems few to many, erect, unbranched, up to c. 40 cm tall, densely covered in spreading white hairs, sometimes the hairs restricted to vertical bands. Leaves opposite, (sub)sessile, ovate, up to c. 6 × 3 cm, slightly cordate at the base, mostly hairless; margin slightly rolled under. Flowers in extra-axillary, 6-13-flowered nodding umbels. Corolla lobes spreading to reflexed, yellow to greenish-yellow, sometimes tinged brownish-purple. Corona lobes attached c. 1 mm above the base of the staminal column, laterally compressed. Follicle erect on a twisted pedicel, fusiform or lanceolate, up to 9 × 2 cm, pubescent.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	swynnertonii: named after Charles Francis Massey Swynnerton (1877-1938), well-known naturalist, who first recorded and collected many species of flora and fauna in and around the Chirinda Forest
Habitat:	In montane grassland and Protea scrub.
Altitude range:	1000 - 2400 m
Flowering time:
Worldwide distribution:	Angola, Shaba-DRC, southern Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Mozambique distribution:	MS
Growth form(s):
Endemic status:
Red data list status:
Insects associated with this species:
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Content last updated:	Thursday 13 August 2015
Literature:	Burrows, J.E. & Willis, C.K. (eds) (2005). Plants of the Nyika Plateau Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 31 SABONET, Pretoria Page 73. (Includes a picture). Chapano, C. & Mamuto, M. (2003). Plants of the Chimanimani District National Herbarium and Botanic Garden, Zimbabwe Page 29. Goyder, D.J. & Nicholas, A. (2001). A revision of Gomphocarpus R. Br. Kew Bulletin 56 Pages 810 - 812. Goyder, D.J., Gilbert, M.G. & Venter, H.J.T. (2020). Apocynaceae (Part 2) Flora Zambesiaca 7(2) Pages 299 - 300. (Includes a picture). Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 20. Wursten, B., Timberlake, J. & Darbyshire, I. (2017). The Chimanimani Mountains: an updated checklist. Kirkia 19(1) Page 88.

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Flora of Malawi: Gomphocarpus swynnertonii
Flora of Zambia: Gomphocarpus swynnertonii
Flora of Zimbabwe: Gomphocarpus swynnertonii

External websites:

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Gomphocarpus swynnertonii
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Gomphocarpus swynnertonii
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Gomphocarpus swynnertonii
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Gomphocarpus swynnertonii
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iNaturalist: Gomphocarpus swynnertonii
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Gomphocarpus swynnertonii
JSTOR Plant Science: Gomphocarpus swynnertonii
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Gomphocarpus swynnertonii
Plants of the World Online: Gomphocarpus swynnertonii
Tropicos: Gomphocarpus swynnertonii
Wikipedia: Gomphocarpus swynnertonii