We stayed in Neihu when we visited Taiwan. We would often walk past this interesting plant on our way to breakfast. Gomphocarpus physocarpus, commonly known as hairy balls, balloonplant, balloon cotton-bush, bishop's balls, nailhead, or swan plant, is a species of plant in the Milkweed subfamily Asclepiadoideae of the Dogbane Family (Apocynaceae), related to the milkweeds. The plant is native to southeast Africa, but it has been widely naturalised as it is often used as an ornamental plant. Gomphocarpus physocarpus is traditionally used to produce ointments for the treatment of warts and the seeds are used in rituals. It is a food of the caterpillars of Danaus butterflies, including the African monarch butterfly (Danaus chrysippus orientis). They store the unpleasant tasting and toxic cardenolides from the plants to deter predators.
我們在臺灣住內湖，要去吃早餐的時候，常會走過這棵有趣的植物。鈍釘頭果也叫毛球、氣球花、氣球棉花、主教球, 釘頭或天鵝植物，是夾竹桃科釘頭果屬的一個物種。它原產於非洲東南部，但已被廣泛歸化。它經常被用作觀賞植物。鈍釘頭果傳統上用於生產治療疣的藥膏，其種子則用於儀式。鈍釘頭果是非洲斑蝶（Danaus chrysippus orientis）等斑蝶幼蟲的食物。它們會儲存植物中味道難聞且有毒的強心配醣體，以抵禦掠食者。
Notes 筆記
- Gomphocarpus physocarpus, commonly known as hairy balls, balloonplant, balloon cotton-bush, bishop's balls, nailhead, or swan plant, is a species of plant in the Milkweed subfamily Asclepiadoideae of the Dogbane Family (Apocynaceae), related to the milkweeds. The plant is native to southeast Africa, but it has been widely naturalised as it is often used as an ornamental plant.
- Gomphocarpus physocarpus is an undershrub perennial herb that can grow to 2 m (6 ft 7 in) tall with narrow lanceolate leaves.
- Gomphocarpus physocarpus is traditionally used to produce ointments for the treatment of warts and the seeds are used in rituals. The leaves and stems produce milky latex that contains carbohydrates, cardiac glycosides (cardenolides), terpenoids, alkaloids, and phenols.
- The flowers are small, with white hoods and about 1 cm across. The follicle (a type of fruit) is a pale green, in shape an inflated spheroid, and filled with air. It is covered with rough hairs. It reaches 8 cm (3.1 in) diameter.
- Gomphocarpus fruticosus , also referred to as Narrow leaf cotton bush, is closely related to Gomphocarpus physocarpus. Gomphocarpus fruticosus is a species of plant native to South Africa and it is also common in Australia and New Zealand where it is a host of the monarch butterfly. Gomphocarpus physocarpus will readily hybridize with Gomphocarpus fruticosus creating intermediate forms.
- The plant's stamens are fused to the head of the style and all the pollen of each stamen is within two pollinia. The pouch-like structure formed by the petals that surrounds the reproductive organs encourages pollinia to stick to the legs or proboscis of pollinating insects. As a result the pollen packets are carried from plant to plant. The species is self-incompatible, and these specialised structures support this reproduction.
- Gomphocarpus physocarpus is a food of the caterpillars of Danaus butterflies, including the African monarch butterfly (Danaus chrysippus orientis). They store the unpleasant tasting and toxic cardenolides from the plants to deter predators. Distinctive colouration alerts predators before they attack.
- 鈍釘頭果也叫毛球、氣球花、氣球棉花、主教球, 釘頭或天鵝植物，是夾竹桃科釘頭果屬的一個物種。它原產於非洲東南部，但已被廣泛歸化。它經常被用作觀賞植物。
- 鈍釘頭果是一種灌木多年生草本植物，可以長到六英尺以上。有狹窄的披針形葉子。
- 鈍釘頭果傳統上用於生產治療疣的藥膏，其種子則用於儀式。葉子和莖產生有毒的乳狀乳膠，其中含有碳水化合物、強心配醣體（強心配醣體）、萜類化合物、生物鹼和酚類物質。
- 鈍釘頭果的花很小，有白色的兜帽，寬約1厘米，卵泡呈淡綠色，形狀為膨脹的球體，被粗糙的毛髮覆蓋，直徑可達三英寸。
- 釘頭果又稱氣毬果、河豚果、風船唐棉 ，與鈍釘頭果關係密切。釘頭果原產於南非，在澳洲和紐西蘭也很常見，是帝王蝶的寄主。鈍釘頭果很容易與釘頭果（Gomphocarpus fruticosus）雜交，產生中間形式。
- 植物的雄蕊與花柱頭融合，每個雄蕊的所有花粉都集中在兩個花粉塊內。花瓣包裹生殖器官形成的囊狀結構促使花粉塊黏附在傳粉昆蟲的腿或喙上。這樣，花粉包就能在植物間傳播。該物種是自交不親和的，這些特殊的結構支持這種繁殖方式。
- 鈍釘頭果是非洲斑蝶（Danaus chrysippus orientis）等斑蝶幼蟲的食物。它們會儲存植物中味道難聞且有毒的強心配醣體，以抵禦掠食者。獨特的顏色會在捕食者攻擊前發出警報。
References 參考資料
- Wikipedia: Gomphocarpus physocarpus
- 維基百科: 鈍釘頭果
Plants Posts 植物的帖子
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