Swan Plants

When I went into the Club House (or is it Clubhouse?) in Wanganui on Sunday there was a bowl on the table filled with funny green things that I took to be fruits. When I picked one up it was almost as light as air and appeared to be empty. I had never seen one before. They are, apparently, Gomphocarpus fruticosus or Swan Plant. They are a member of the Milkweed genus. They are a host to the Monarch Butterfly caterpillars.