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 filiformis commonly known as Lammerlat in Afrikaans and Mountain Milk Bush in English is a South African indigenous species found in the Eastern Cape, Northern Cape and Western Cape Provinces. It is widespread across Namibia and the western arid interior of South Africa. It forms a graceful grey-green shrub branched from the base. It has paired long thread-like leaves and drooping umbels of yellowish-green to cream flowers.