102 THE COTTON PLANT IN EGYPT CHAP. 



the seed scarcely admits of statistical expression, it is 

 sufficiently important to merit a comment. The cytology 

 of the " fuzz " hairs is as yet unknown. They are 

 certainly different from the lint hairs, but the demarcation 

 may not be very obvious in abnormal seeds. 



The presumably primitive cottons * possess no lint, but 

 abundant " fuzz " covers the seed-coat. Less " primitive " 

 cottons have both fuzz and lint. In the cultivated 

 cottons we find groups with "entire" fuzz like the 

 primitive species, others with fuzz restricted to the hilum 

 and raphe, and others with no fuzz whatsoever. The 

 phylogenetic interest of the character is consequently high, 

 especially since some evidence as to its factorial composition 

 is available. 



One of the chief features in this connection is the colour. 

 Green, brown, and white fuzz are all known in most 

 cultivated cottons, though since the green is unstable 

 green and brown are not easily distinguished. The lint 

 colour, on the other hand, ranges through browns and 

 creams to white, while even the browns appear to be of 

 various origins. There is, however, a green-linted cotton 

 known as "Texas Wool" which appears sporadically in 

 fields of American Upland, and breeds true to the green 

 lint. This stock is of interest because it provides a 

 suggestion of possible phylogenetic connection between 

 lint and fuzz. 



Apart from colour, however, we find a certain amount 

 of fluctuation in the amount, of fuzz. Within a pure 

 strain this is very slight, but when severe constitutional 

 changes are forced upon a semi-fuzzy stock by crossing 

 or by a novel environment, the fluctuation may be 

 conspicuous. 



Lint-length. Since data on fluctuation in lint- 

 strength are not yet available, we can quote for lint- 



* Watt, Sir G. 



