Gossypium arboreum

Gossypium arboreum

Gossypium arboreum is a species of the genus cotton (Gossypium ). It is native to tropical Asia and is cultivated for the production of cotton fibers.

Description

Gossypium arboreum is a perennial shrub or subshrub that reaches a height of 2 to 3 m. The shoot axis is dark, young twigs are hairy. The leaves are three-to siebenlappig. The leaf lobes are lanceolate to oval. The sheet is oval or round in outline with a diameter of 4 to 8 cm. The petiole is 1.5 to 10 cm, according to other sources 2 to 4 cm long. The petiole and leaf both sides are hairy, especially the leaf veins. The stipules are very narrow, they fall off soon.

The flowers appear singly in the leaf axils. The flower stems are 1.5 to 2.5 inches long and hairy. The outer calyx consists of three fused together at the base of bracts. They are 2.5 cm long, hairy on the veins, the front with three or four prongs not very long, heart-shaped at the base. The bowl-shaped calyx is five-lobed indistinct. The petals are yellow, they may have at the base of each a reddish stain. They measure 3-5 cm in length. The Columna is 1.5 to 2 cm long. The hanging fruit capsule consists of three parts, rarely up to five parts, oval or oblong, beaked front. It grows up to 3 cm long. The oval seeds are 0.5 to 0.8 cm in size. They are surrounded by long white fibers and short, relatively firmly adhering fibers.

Dissemination

Gossypium arboreum is native to India and Sri Lanka. It is cultivated mainly in tropical Asia and Africa.

Use

Gossypium arboreum is a supplier of cotton fibers.