Cotton

What does Cotton look like?

Cotton plants are shrubs, usually grown as annuals, reaching 1–2 metres tall. They have broad, three- to five-lobed leaves. The fruit is a capsule called a boll, which splits open to reveal seeds covered in two types of fibres: long staples for fine cloth and short linters for coarser material. The fibres come in white, brown, green, or mixed shades.

Where does Cotton come from?

The genus Gossypium originated 5–10 million years ago and spread across arid and semi-arid tropics in both the Old and New Worlds. It includes about 50 species, with wild forms ranging from herbaceous perennials in Australia to small trees in Mexico. A key group of five tetraploid species arose from a single hybridisation event 1.5–2 million years ago.

When and how Cotton blooms

Cotton is grown as an annual crop in modern agriculture, though it is naturally a perennial shrub. It thrives in warm climates and produces bolls containing fibre-covered seeds. After harvest, fibres are separated from seeds by ginning: first the long staples, then the shorter linters. Most global production comes from G. hirsutum and G. barbadense.

How Cotton is used

Cotton provides about 80% of the world’s natural fibre, used for high- and low-quality textiles. Its seeds yield oil and protein-rich meal for animal feed. It is a major agricultural and industrial crop in tropical and subtropical countries across Asia, Africa, and South America.

Kinds of Cotton

Four species dominate cultivation: G. hirsutum (97% of production), G. barbadense (1–2%), and G. arboreum and G. herbaceum together (~1%). Wild relatives show great diversity, from fire-adapted herbs in Australia to tree-like forms in Mexico. Breeding programs aim to transfer traits like pest resistance and drought tolerance from wild species.

What Cotton means

Cotton has shaped global trade, agriculture, and industry for centuries. Though not tied to specific religious rites in the sources, it underpins economies in many tropical nations. Its genome has been a focus of scientific study, with sequencing efforts targeting diploid ancestors to understand cultivated tetraploid varieties.

Where Cotton is used and seen

PaisleyA curved teardrop motif from Iran and India, now used worldwide on textilesMărțișorRed and white string brooches worn for spring in Romania and MoldovaNational Botanical Research InstituteA premier plant science and botanical research center in LucknowChintzIndian floral-printed cotton fabric with a glossy or painted finishOshibanaThe craft of making pictures from pressed flowers and leavesKalamkariHand-painted and block-printed cottons from Andhra Pradesh using natural dyesMillefleurA tapestry and carpet style with scattered small flowers on a grassy groundMorris & Co.Handcrafted floral wallpapers, textiles, and stained glass from Victorian Britain

Questions people ask about Cotton

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle
• USDA Plants DatabaseUS Department of Agriculture, Article
• Plants of the World OnlineRoyal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Plant database
• Where it has been recordedGBIF, Plant database
• Sightings and photos by naturalistsiNaturalist, Plant database

• Gossypium on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos
• Wikidata recordOpen data