FloraFinder.org
Home   About Us   FAQ  
Searching   Image Use Plant Books
x
FloraFinder uses cookies only for correct operation. More info. Okay

Gossypium hirsutum L.

Cotton, upland cotton

KingdomPlantaePlants, but not fungi, lichens, or algae
SubkingdomTracheobiontaVascular plants—plants with a “circulatory system” for delivering water and nutrients
DivisionMagnoliophytaFlowering plants, also known as angiosperms
ClassMagnoliopsidaDicotyledons—plants with two initial seed leaves
SubclassRosidaeRoses, legumes, proteas, dogwoods, hydrangeas, mistletoes, euphorbias, grapes, many more
OrderMalvalesIncludes cacao, balsa, lime, linden, basswood, daphnes, hibiscus, hollyhocks, okra, baobab, cotton, kapok, and many others
FamilyMalvaceaeIncludes okra, jute, cacao, hibiscus, many others
GenusGossypiumFrom Latin names used by Pliny for the cotton tree
SpecieshirsutumHairy

About plant names...

This variety of cotton is native to Mexico, the West Indies, northern South America, Central America, and maybe southern Florida. It is by far the most popular species of cotton used for commerical cotton production in the United States—many cultivars have been created from it.

Plants: Annual subshrubs, up to 5′ (1.5 m) tall. Some branches fruit, while others do not.

Leaves: Alternate, on petioles (leaf stems), Cordate (heart-shaped), up to 3-6″ (7.5-15 cm) in width, somewhat wider than long, divided into 3-5 lobes, with smooth edges.

Flowers: Flowers are white to yellowish, 5-petaled, and up to 3½″ (8.9 cm) across, occurring singly or in groups of 6-8. Some have a prominent maroon spot at the base of each petal. Some are pink (cultivars?). All have a large number of stamens, around 100, in the center. The flower shape is reminiscent of wild roses.

Fruits: Cotton balls are fibrous trichomes surrounding seed capsules. Trichomes, from the Greek τρίχωμα (trikhōma) meaning "hair", are fine outgrowths or appendages. The tufts are 1-1¾″ (3-5 cm) around. The seed capsule within has 3-5 cells. It is globose to broadly ovoid, beaked, ⅞-1¼″ (2.5-3.5 cm) long, white to reddish brown, and smooth. Each cell contains 5-11 seeds.

Edibility: Poisonous Skull & Crossbones Gossypol, found in seeds and seedlings, must be removed before cottonseed can be fed to animals.

Online References:

Purdue University's Center for New Crops and Plants Products

HEAR: the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project

Cal Lamke's Cal's Plant of the Week, at the University of Oklahoma's Department of Botany and Microbiology

Wikipedia

Gossypium hirsutum (cotton, upland cotton)

9/1/2013 · Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia · ≈ 4 × 7″ (11 × 16 cm)

Gossypium hirsutum (cotton, upland cotton)

9/1/2013 · Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia · ≈ 5 × 3″ (12 × 8.5 cm)

 

Gossypium hirsutum description by Thomas H. Kent, last updated 25 May 2020.

© FloraFinder.org. All rights reserved.


 

Gossypium hirsutum (cotton, upland cotton)

9/1/2013 · Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia · ≈ 9 × 6″ (22 × 15 cm)

Gossypium hirsutum (cotton, upland cotton)

7/13/2008 · By Jacquelyn Boyt

Gossypium hirsutum (cotton, upland cotton)

9/1/2013 · Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia · ≈ 12 × 8″ (31 × 21 cm)

Gossypium hirsutum (cotton, upland cotton)

9/1/2013 · Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia · ≈ 16 × 10″ (39 × 26 cm)

Gossypium hirsutum (cotton, upland cotton)

9/1/2013 · Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia · ≈ 12 × 8″ (29 × 19 cm)

Gossypium hirsutum (cotton, upland cotton)

7/13/2008 · By Jacquelyn Boyt

Range:

About this map...