VARIETIES OF COTTON n 



regarded by the Index Kewensis as synonymous with 

 G. acuminatum, Roxb., G. frutescens, Lasteyr., G.fus- 

 cum, Roxb., G.glabrum, Lam., G.javanicum, Blume, G. 

 maritimum, Tod., G. peruvianum, Cav., G. punctatum, 

 Schumm. and Thonn., G. racemosum, Poir., and G. 

 vitifolium, Lam. Further complications have arisen 

 owing to the same name being applied by different 

 botanists to different species. Thus, G. hirsutum, 

 Linn., and G. hirsutum, Cav., are different species ; G. 

 arboreum, Linn., G. arboreum, Parl., and G. arboreum, 

 Vill., are again all different from one another; G. 

 vitifolium, Lam., and G. vitifolium, Roxb., are also 

 distinct species. It will now be readily conceived 

 that no little difficulty exists with regard to the 

 nomenclature of the ordinary cottons of commerce. 

 In fact it is impossible to determine with any degree 

 of certainty the origin of some of the principal com- 

 mercial varieties. The ordinary Upland cottons of 

 the United States of America have been regarded by 

 many authorities as derived from G. herbaceum, Linn., 

 but are now usually considered as the offspring of G. 

 hirsutum, Linn. Some authorities, however, regard 

 these species as identical. Many of the Upland 

 varieties are believed to be derived from hybrids of 

 G. hirsutum with Mexican cotton, G. mexicanum, Tod., 

 or G. vitifolium, Lam. As illustrating the readiness 

 with which the plant undergoes variation, it may be 

 mentioned that more than one hundred distinct races 

 of Upland cottons have been brought into existence 

 by means of well-directed and long-continued efforts 

 to improve the stock. 



Sea Island cotton has usually been regarded as G. 

 barbadense, Linn., but is considered by Watt to be a 

 hybrid form. 



The Egyptian cottons probably cannot be referred 

 to any particular species, but are mostly hybrid forms 

 of G. barbadense, Linn., with other species. In 

 general, Egyptian cottons are regarded as G. bar- 

 badense, Linn., but are sometimes placed under G. 

 peruvianum, Cav., which some authorities consider as 

 synonymous with G. barbadense, Linn. Fletcher, 

 however, thinks that the present varieties were pro- 



