40 HINDI COTTON IN EGYPT. 



can Upland cottons when first brought to the United States, though 

 not carried to quite the same extent under the less extreme Egyptian 

 conditions. The stems, leaves, and involucres are densely hairy as 

 in the Central American cottons. The bracts also have the margins 

 hairy and very firmly appressed in the same way as in the Central 

 .American cottons and perhaps to an even greater extent. 



The lobes of the calyx have the same tendency to grow into long 

 teeth (PL V, A), and the bolls have the same conic-oval, abruptly 

 apiculate form which several of the Central American varieties share 

 with the Hindi cotton. In short, the resemblance seems so complete 

 that if the Cochin China cotton had been found in Central America 

 it would have been considered as only one more of the relatively slight 

 local variations shown by the general type represented by the Rabinal 

 and Pachon varieties. The most notable difference was an apparent 

 absence of bractlets, but this condition could probably be found on 

 second-year wood in the Central American varieties. AYhile the 

 Cochin China cotton, like the Central American varieties, appears 

 to be a relative of our American Upland cottons, there are native 

 Mexican varieties that seem to be still more closely related to some 

 of our United States Upland varieties. Yet it is not impossible that 

 Mr. Fletcher's idea of tracing the Cochin China cotton to the United 

 States through an early introduction of so-called " Siam cotton " may 

 turn out to be true of our long-staple Upland type still grown in 

 Louisiana. 



If thp Cochin China cotton were more nearly identical with our 

 United States Upland cottons it might be looked upon as an introduc- 

 tion from the United States, but it is much less likely that a local 

 Central American variety has been carried to Cochin China. The 

 information of Mr. Fletcher's correspondent, that this cotton was 

 really indigenous in Cochin China, may therefore be credited.** 



A^Hiile the existence of these additional relatives of the Eg}^ptian 

 and Hindi types of cotton in the Old World does not affect the evi- 

 dences of relationship that have been pointed out between these types 

 of cotton and others that appear to be natives of America, it does 

 have a l)earing upon the question of how these members of American 

 types of cotton reached the Old "World. If many sorts like the Hindi, 

 Egyptian, Niam-Xinm. and Cochin China cottons are found in differ- 

 ent parts of the Old World it will not be reasonable to believe that 

 they represent recent importations from America, since the time of 

 Columbus. It will be necessary to consider the possibility that 

 American types of cotton, like the coconut palm, sweet potato, and 



" Fletcher, F. The Botany and Origin of Aniericnn TTplaud Cotton. Cairo 

 Scientific .Tournal, vol. 3, no. 38, November, 1907, p. 263. 

 210 



I 



