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 cancellatus is a hairy shrub that grows to 1.5m in height. It has milky sap & leathery leaves. During spring and summer it has cream flowers which are followed by inflated fruits with soft spines. It is best sown in autumn.