114 



WILD AND CULTIVATED COTTONS 



Senaar 

 tree 



cotton. 



cottons had given to the Natives their most prolific, but most inferior, 

 short-staple plant. 



I have just had the pleasure to receive from Mr. Lawrence Balls, 

 of Cairo, a specimen of what he describes as Senaar tree cotton. 

 This proves to be a distinct race, but one which seems to fall most 

 readily under the present variety. Leaves thick, leathery, smooth, 

 glabrous, deeply lobed, the lateral sinuses often having extra teeth, 

 and gland-dots very conspicuous, almost forming warts, along 

 the petioles and midribs. Flowers very small, yellow with purple 

 flush, almost contained within the bracteoles. Fruit 3-celled, bursting 

 horizontally, and throwing out the cob of seeds and wool, the seeds 

 being much separated. Seeds large, coarse, with rusty fuzz ; wool 

 scanty, rigidly spreading, much twisted, silvery- white, but harsh. 



Chinese 

 cotton. 



Nankin 

 cotton. 



15. GK NANKING, Meyen, Beise, n. (1836), 323, et Verh. der Gartnb. 

 der Preuss. Stoat., XL, 258, t. 3; G. FRUTESCENS PENTA- 

 PHYLLOS, Plukenet, Aim. Bot., 1696, n., 172 Phyt. ? t. 299, /. 1 ; 

 Volkamer, Nitrnberg. Hesp. (Contin.), n. (1714), 235-6, ? t. 236 ; 

 GOSSTPIUM, Capas, Bumphius, Herb. Amb., iv. (1750), 33-37, t. 

 12; G.INDICUM, Lamk., Encycl. (1786), IL, 134 (G.?MICRAN- 

 THUM, Cav., Dm., 1785-90, 311, 1. 193) ; G. HIRSUTUM, Cav., I.e. 

 312, 1. 167, var. ? ; G. INDICUM, Cav., I.e. 314, 1. 169 ; G. INDICUM 

 and G. ? MICRANTHUM, Willd., in Linn., Sp. PI, 4th ed. (1800), in., 

 pt. i. 803-4 ; G. 9 MICRANTHUM, Poir., Supp. Lamk., Encycl. Meth. 

 Bot., ii., 369 (describes Cavanilles' plate) ; G. INDICUM, Poir., 

 Diet, des Scien. Nat. XL, 1818, 38 ; G. SIAMENSE, Tussac, PL 

 Anil. (1818), n., 65-77; G. INDICUM, and ? MICRANTHUM, 

 DC., Prod. 1824, i., 456 ; G. HERBACEUM, Boxb., Fl. Ind. (1832), 

 in., 184-5, var. China Cotton ; G. HERBACEUM, Parl., Sp. Cot., 32 

 (in part) ; G. NANKING and G. INDICUM, Tod., Bel. Cult, dei Cot. 

 147-52,'tf. m.,/. 1 ; G. HERBACEUM, Henderson and Hume, Lahore 

 to Tarkand, 1873, 314-5; G. HERBACEUM, var. lana-rufa, 

 Aliotta, Bev. Grit. Gen. Goss., 1903, 71. 



The ' Chinese cotton ' of commerce ' Siam cotton ' of most 

 writers the red-coloured states being the true ' Nankin cotton.' 



In no Herbarium examined by me is there any specimen that 

 could for a moment be accepted as matching the flower represented 

 and described by Cavanilles as present in the Persian plant to which 

 he gave the name ' micranthum.' In all other characters, however, 



