SECTION II: TREE COTTON OF INDIA 83 



cottons as a whole, might be described as almost pedately lobed, with 

 occasionally an extra tooth on one or on both sides of the central lobe); 

 lobes curvilinear in outline, that is, only slightly constricted into the more 

 or less open sinus ; midribs distinct, the central one very frequently purple- 

 coloured ; petioles about the same length as the longest lobe, thin, straight 

 stipules falcate (narrow, acuminate, membranous), caducous, those on the 

 lateral flowering-buds with one broader than the other and sometimes 

 slightly toothed. Inflorescence much elongated, shoots with many lateral 

 axillary buds, which mostly become abortive so as to yield but one, or at 

 most two flowers (Plate 8, f. 1), which thus appear as if borne on jointed 

 peduncles, with one or two diminutive 3 -lobed leaves at the joint; the 

 jointed peduncle is usually shorter than the subtended petiole, and the 

 portion above the joint is generally trigonous and shorter than the lower 

 portion ; bracteoles small (usually one-third the length of the corolla), veins 

 few, circular attachment often conspicuous but not glandular, glands within 

 the bracteoles and on the calyx large and purple (ff. 2 and 3). Calyx 

 truncate, or only slightly 5-angled, gland-dots very distinct (f. 2). Corolla 

 not quite three times the length of the bracteoles, constricted below, 

 convolute and convolvulate, deep purple-red, with darker patches at the 

 base and well-marked hairy folds. (Some of the hybrid states have the 

 corolla scarcely distinguishable from the yellow with purple blotches of G. 

 obtusifolium or of G. Nanking). Capsule more or less rounded, 3- (rarely 

 4-) celled, acuminate (f. 3), very rarely flattened, 6-8 seeds in each cell, 

 valves with the margins reflexed. (Cf. pollen grains, p. 345, and Plate No. 

 52, ff. 7 and 10.) 



Habitat. It has often been claimed that this is originally an Africa, 

 African species, but it is doubtful whether any botanist has ever 

 discovered it in what could be regarded as an undoubted indigenous 

 habitat in any country. So far as botanical publications are con- 

 cerned, it was figured and described by Alpinus as an Egyptian plant 

 a hundred -years before Plukenet wrote of it, ' Gossypium herbaceum 

 Maderaspatense.' It is said to be met with in gardens (especially 

 near temples) in Egypt, Africa, Arabia, India, and, though much 

 less abundant, is also found in China, Japan, Java, and the Malaya. 

 Safford (I.e.) appears to be alluding to this species in his ' Useful 

 Plants of the Island of Guam,' where he says it is introduced and 

 planted near houses. Lamarck (quoting Sonnerat, ' Hist. Voy.' x., 

 p. 460), speaks of it as growing plentifully in the plains of Macassar, 

 but Poiret (who compiles from Lamarck) drops all mention of the 

 Macassar cultivation, and says it is considered the finest cotton in 

 India and is sought for on account of its pliancy and whiteness. 



Citation of Specimens. In Linnean Soc. Herb. London Linn. Sp. n. 3 

 (see Plate No. 7 C). In the Kew Herbarium the INDIAN examples of this 

 plant are by no means either numerous or very characteristic. The best 

 specimens are : Wight, n. 176 (named G. album, Ham.) ; Edgeworth, 



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