MISSOURI BOTANICAL GARDEN BULLETIN 123 



length. Sea island cotton flourishes along the coasts of South 

 Carolina, Georgia, Florida, and in Egypt, the Egyptian cot- 

 ton having been developed from American seed. Sea island 

 cotton gives the finest fiber of any species and is much used 

 for the better fabrics and in the manufacture of automobile 

 tires. Its production is limited by soil and climatic condi- 

 tions. 



Tropical Tree Cotton of South America.— This cotton is 

 indigenous to South America. It was known in commercial 

 circles about the middle of the seventeenth century, but was 

 even then confused by botanists. This species attracted much 

 attention in Europe because it was thought that the heavily 

 covered seeds, which are produced in large numbers, would 

 yield a large and profitable amount of cotton. Its culture 

 spread throughout the world, but to-day it is the least popular 

 of the cultivated cottons. It is said that South American 

 cotton was in great demand in Scotland and England prior 

 to the discovery of the upland and sea island varieties -of the 

 United States, but it is not probable that it will ever regain 

 its lost popularity. 



Upland Cotton.— Some botanists claim that G. hirsutum is 

 only a variety of G. herbaceum, the former being considered 

 of American origin, while the latter comes from Asia. The 

 plants grow to a height of about six feet and bear yellowish 

 flowers which turn red with age. The lint of the upland cot- 

 ton seldom exceeds V/ 2 inches in length and much of it is 

 shorter. The upland varieties of cotton do not furnish as 

 fine a quality of fiber as the sea island cotton, but are grown 

 over a wider territory. 



Although cotton has been grown for fiber for centuries in 

 various countries, it was the Americans who discovered many 

 other properties of the plant. The inferior and short lint is 

 used in the manufacture of cotton batting, wadding, and 

 absorbent cotton, for stuffing material in pads, cushions, mat- 

 tresses, and upholstery. When mixed with wool it is used in 

 hat making and mixed with lambs' wool for fleece-lined un- 

 derwear and felt. Candle and lamp wicks, twine, rope, and 

 carpets are made from low-grade yarns. As the cotton fiber 

 is composed almost entirely of cellulose, it is used in the 

 manufacture of writing-paper, gun-cotton, smokeless powder, 

 celluloid, and photographic films. The seed hulls and meat 

 serve as feed and fertilizer. The oil which is expressed from 

 the seeds is used in many ways, among them being lard sub- 



