98 ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BOTANY OF [ Malvaceae. 
Von Rohr describes 29 species or varieties, Mr. Badier 18, and Mr. Bennet mentions that he knew 
more than 100 kinds, and that they appeared to him never ending. 
But there is no doubt that species have been established from imperfect specimens, indifferent 
drawings, and frequently from insufficient characters, and these liable to change. Swartz and others 
-have observed, that the several species varied in the size of parts, in the division of leaves, in the 
number of glands, in hairiness, in having the leaflets of the exterior calyx more or less divided, in the 
capsules having three or four cells; in the colour of both the seeds and the wool, as well as in the 
adherence and tenacity of the latter; so that from the difficulty of distinguishing the several species, 
Swartz thought that they might easily be believed to be only varieties of one species. Some intelligent 
cultivators, as Rohr and Badier, who found it difficult to refer their varieties to the small number of 
recognised species, have made the same observation. To the first, the seeds appeared to furnish the 
most certain and least changeable characters. But it may be doubted whether from being unaccustomed 
to make those nice distinctions, and at the same time make allowances for the variations due to culture, 
cultivators have not exaggerated the difficulties, and as they were most interested in the produce of 
_the seed, ascribed a higher value on its permanency than even their own observations will warrant, 
especially as Mr. Spalding, in the interesting letter given in by Mr. Crawford to the East-India Com- 
‘mittee, states that “the same cotton-seed planted in one cotton-field will give quite a black and 
“ naked seed; while planted in another, different in soil and situation, will be prone to run into large 
« cotton with long boles, and with seeds tufted at the ends with fuzz.” But this liability to run into 
varieties, so far from being accounted a disadvantage, ought to be considered the reverse, as it is 
the great distinction between a cultivable plant, and one that is not so; it is desirable only to know 
the species from which the most useful varieties have been procured in countries where the best cottons 
are grown. This is a work, as has been before mentioned, of considerable difficulty ; but with the 
assistance of the observations of Dr. Roxburgh, who states having studied the subject for thirty years 
(Flora Indica, vol. 8. p. 187), and those of Dr. Swartz, who has described with great care (Observ. 
Bot. p. 265) the species of cotton which he found cultivated in the West-Indies, the author hopes 
that he has been able to refer some of the kinds cultivated in different countries, to their true 
species. 
1, G. obtusifolium (Roxb.) Shrubby, very ramous. Leaves 
‘small, with three, rarely five, obtuse, ovate, entire lobes, 
Stipules faleate. The evterior calyw with entire divisions, 
Capsules ovate, cells three-seeded. Seeds free, and clothed 
with firmly-adhering, short greenish-gray down, under a 
small portion of ash-coloured wool.—Rowb, Fl. Indica. 
marked with black spots. eaves hairy, palmate, 3, gene- 
rally 5-lobed, in herbaceous varieties, lobes broad and 
rounded with a little point ; in those which are woody sub- 
lanceolate and acute, with or without glands. Stipules 
faleate-lanceolate. Flowers axillary, generally solitary 
towards the extremities of the branches, petals of a lively 
vol. 3. p. 183. A native of Ceylon, but not cultivated. 
Flowers during the rains and cold season in the Botanic 
Garden at Calcutta. 
2. G. acwminatum (Roxb.) Sub-arboreous. eaves from 
three to five lobed, lobes oblong, tapering, very acute. 
Exterior calye deeply laciniate. Stipules linear-lanceolate. 
Capsules long, ovate, much pointed. Seeds many, adhering 
firmly to each other, black, and free of every pubescence, 
except the long white wool, which is easily removed.— Rob. 
Fl. Ind. 3. p. 186. 
Dr. Roxburgh states, that this species is easily distin- 
guished by its superior size and large black seeds, which 
adhere firmly to each other, It is said to be a native of 
the mountains to the north and westward of Bengal, but 
he does not find that it is ever cultivated; but it is apparently 
> species well worthy of trial in different parts of India, as 
itis indigenous, and desirable on account of the facility 
with which the wool separates from the naked seeds. 
~ 3. G. herbacewm (Lin,) Stems woody, bi-triennial, 4-6 
feet high in tropical, herbaceous and two feet high, in 
temperate climates, the ‘older parts reddish, the younger, 
as well as the flower and foot-stalks, hairy, frequently 
yellow colour, with a purple spot near. the claw. Segments 
of the exterior Calyx or involucel, ‘D. C. cordate at the base, 
margin dentate,sometimes entire. Capsules ovate, pointed, 
3 or 4-celled. Seeds free, about five in number, clothed with 
firmly-adhering, grayish down, under the short-staple white 
wool,—Xylon s. Gossypium antiquorum.—G. herbaceum. 
Linn, sp. Pl. 3. p. 355, Lamarck Encycl, 2. p, 133; . Cav. 
Diss. 6. p. 310. t. 164. £2. Wild. 3, p- 803. Roxb. Fl. Ind. 
3, p. 184, D.C. Prod. 1. p. 456.. This and its varieties are 
by far the most generally cultivated in India. Dr. Roxburgh 
particularly distinguishes three varieties :—Ist, Dacca Cot- 
ton, which furnishes that fine long soft cotton-wool, employed 
in manufacturing the very delicate beautiful muslins of that 
place. v, Roxb, Corom. Plants, vol. iii, t. 269, 2d. Berar 
Cotton, distinguished by growing to a greater size, and 
having smooth and straight branches, leaflets of the exterior 
calyx more deeply divided, and the wool of a finer quality, 
than in the common variety of this species. This is cultivated 
in Berar and the Northern Circars, and with its cotton the 
fine Madras, more properly Northern Circar, long-cloth is 
made, 3d. China Cotton, introduced into Bengal, where 
its wool, according to Dr. Roxburgh, is reckoned 25 per 
cent. 
