Gomphocarpus, placed in the Apocynaceae family is a genus of milkweeds first described as a genus in 1810. It is widespread across much of Africa, with a few species naturalized in other regions. The generic name is derived from the Latin words, gompho, meaning club and carpus, meaning fruit, in reference to the shape of the fruit.

Gomphocarpus fruticosus is a herbaceous, perennial, spindly shrub, often with watery or milky sap. It has ovoid fruits (follicles) of a clear, pale green colour, covered with prickles and narrowing into a curved tip, and almost looks like a tiny swan! The milkweed is a fibrous, multi-stemmed shrub, growing up to 1.5-2 m high. It is evergreen and hardy. Light brown stems branch higher up to form the crown. When cut, the stem exudes milky latex. Leaves are pale to mid-green, long, narrow and opposite. Attractive, creamy yellow flowers are carried in pendulous clusters. The fruit, borne in autumn, is an inflated, light brown, papery follicle, covered with bristle-like hairs and containing dark seeds. The seeds are attached from cotton-like, silky hairs that aid in their dispersal. G. fruticosus is widely distributed in the southern African region. It is often found growing in disturbed areas on the roadside and abandoned fields. Foliage and the fruit are used in floral arrangements. Leaves are used as snuff and as a sedative in the treatment of headache ands tuberculosis. Roots are used to relieve stomach pain and general aches in the body. The floss is sometimes used for stuffing.