Gossypium L.

First published in Sp. Pl.: 693 (1753)
This genus is accepted
The native range of this genus is Tropics & Subtropics.

Descriptions

Malvaceae, A. W. Exell. Flora Zambesiaca 1:2. 1961

Morphology General Habit
Small trees, shrubs, shrublets or perennial herbs dotted everywhere with black oil-glands.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers in 1-several-flowered sympodial inflorescences.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Epicalyx
Epicalyx of 3 usually foliaceous and persistent bracts.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx cupuliform, truncate.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Pistil
Ovary 3–5-locular; style clavate (with coherent stigmas) rarely slightly divided at the tip.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule loculicidally dehiscent; loculi several (rarely 2)-seeded.
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds usually with floss (or lint) and often also with fuzz (a shorter denser indumentum), sometimes nearly glabrous.
Cytology
Chromosome number: n=13 or 26.
[FZ]

Malvaceae, Bernard Verdcourt & Geoffrey Mwachala. Pavonia, B Verdcourt; Kosteletzkya, OJ Blanchard Jr.; Gossypium, P Fryxell & B Verdcourt. Flora of Tropical East Africa. 2009

Morphology General Habit
Shrubs or subshrubs, erect or decumbent to prostrate, or small to medium-sized trees, usually ± punctate throughout
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually entire (serrate in one species), shallowly lobulate to deeply palmately 3–7-lobed, palmately or pedately 3–7-veined; foliar nectaries 1–5, abaxially on principal veins; stipules filiform, persistent or caducous
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers borne singly or clustered on axillary pedicel or several on lateral inflorescences; pedicel usually surmounted by trimerous nectaries
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Epicalyx
Epicalyx of 3 bracts, usually persistent in fruit
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx truncate, 5-toothed, or deeply 5-lobed, often prominently punctate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Corolla
Petals often large and showy
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Androecium Stamens
Staminal column antheriferous throughout length or only in upper half
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Style
Style clavate, stigmatic surfaces 3–5-lobed
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Capsule 3–5-locular, often prominently punctate, dehiscent and opening slightly or flaring widely
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds 1–several per locule, usually free but sometimes ± coherent into a single unit for each locule; usually comose, sometimes minutely puberulent or glabrous, turbinate; seed hairs white to various shades of brown, copious, 1–3 cm long, usually crimped but patent in two species
Morphology General
Chromosome numbers: 2 n = 26, 52.
[FTEA]

George R. Proctor (2012). Flora of the Cayman Isands (Second Edition). Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Morphology General Habit
Subwoody herbs or shrubs, sometimes arborescent, generally marked all over with numerous minute black dots, often pubescent with simple or stellate hairs
Morphology Leaves
Leaves usually long-petiolate and 3–7-lobed, or sometimes entire
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers
Flowers solitary in the leaf-axils, large, on stout peduncles; epicalyx of 3 large cordate bracteoles, these more or less deeply incised or rarely entire
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx truncate or 5-toothed; petals yellow or red
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 5-celled, the cells with many ovules; style club-shaped at the apex, grooved and bearing 3–5 stigmas
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a dehiscent capsule; seeds densely woolly with very long or short hairs, or both, or sometimes nearly glabrous; endosperm scant or none.
Distribution
A widespread tropical and subtropical genus of more than 20 species (or twice as many recognised by some authors).
[Cayman]

M. Thulin et al. Flora of Somalia, Vol. 1-4 [updated 2008] https://plants.jstor.org/collection/FLOS

Morphology General Habit
Perennial herbs, shrubs or small trees, usually conspicuously gland-dotted
Morphology Leaves
Leaves entire to deeply lobed; stipules filiform to ovate
Morphology Reproductive morphology Inflorescences
Flowers in axillary 1–few-flowered cymes
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Epicalyx
Epicalyx of 3 subulate to broadly ovate-cordate entire to dentate or laciniate bracts
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Calyx
Calyx truncate to 5-lobed, usually with irregularly scattered black glands
Morphology Reproductive morphology Flowers Gynoecium Ovary
Ovary 3–5-celled, each cell with 1–many ovules; style club-shaped
Morphology Reproductive morphology Fruits
Fruit a loculicidal capsule
Morphology Reproductive morphology Seeds
Seeds glabrous, with brownish hairs (fuzz), and/or with a white cottony floss (lint).
Distribution
Some 50 species in the tropics and subtropics.
[FSOM]

Uses

Use
Several species have been cultivated (as cotton) for a very long time, and as they hybridise freely their classification is often very difficult.
[Cayman]

Use
Some species are widely cultivated for their lint, which is the raw material for cotton, and for their seed oils.
[FSOM]

Sources

  • Flora Zambesiaca

    • Flora Zambesiaca
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of Somalia

    • Flora of Somalia
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of Tropical East Africa

    • Flora of Tropical East Africa
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Flora of the Cayman Islands

    • Flora of the Cayman Islands
    • http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0
  • Herbarium Catalogue Specimens

    • 'The Herbarium Catalogue, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet http://www.kew.org/herbcat [accessed on Day Month Year]'. Please enter the date on which you consulted the system.
  • Kew Backbone Distributions

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0
  • Kew Names and Taxonomic Backbone

    • The International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants 2024. Published on the Internet at http://www.ipni.org and https://powo.science.kew.org/
    • © Copyright 2023 International Plant Names Index and World Checklist of Vascular Plants. http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0