170 Select Plants for Industrial Culture 



cotton (G. sanguineum, Hasskarl) belongs to this species. The 

 cotton-fibre is crisp, white, opaque and not easily separable. All 

 Gossypiums can be regarded as honey-plants. 



Gossypium Barbadense, Linn.* 



Sea-Island Cotton. From Mexico to Peru and Brazil. Leaves 

 long-lobed. Petals yellow. Seeds disconnected, black, after the 

 removal of the cotton-fibre naked. The cotton of this species is very 

 long, easily separable and of a silky lustre and always white. This 

 species requires low-lying coast-tracts for attaining to perfection. 

 Perennial, but yielding like the rest a crop already in the first season. 

 Cultivated largely in the Southern States of North-America, also in 

 South-Europe, Central and North- Africa, Queensland and various 

 other countries. G. Kirkii (Masters), from Dar Salam, may be a wild 

 state of G. Barbadense. The only other type of this genus in tropi- 

 cal Africa is G. anomalum according to Dr. Welwitch. The "Kidney- 

 cotton" is a variety with more acuminate leaves. M. Delchevalerie 

 has drawn attention to a new plant, tall in size and exceedingly pro- 

 lific in bearing, raised in Egypt, called Bamia-cotton, which Sir 

 Joseph Hooker regards as a variety of G. Barbadense. The Barnia 

 Cotton-bush grows 8 to 10 feet high, ripens (at Galveston) fruit in 

 four or five months, and produces 2,500 pounds of cotton and seed 

 per acre. It is remarkable for its long simple branches, heavily fruited 

 from top to bottom. Its cotton is pale yellow. 



Gossypium herbaceum, Linn.* 



Persia, Scinde, Cabul and some other parts of tropical and sub- 

 tropical Asia. Much cultivated in the Mediterranean countries, also in 

 the United States of North-America. Perennial. Leaves short-lobed. 

 Petals yellow. Seeds disconnected, after removal of the cotton-fibre 

 gray -velvety. Distinguished and illustrated by Parlatore as a species, 

 regarded by Seemann as a variety of G. arboreum. Staple longer than 

 in the latter kind, white-opaque, not easily separating. The wild 

 type of this seems to be G. Stocksii (Masters). Even this species, 

 though supposed to be herbaceous, will attain a* height of 12 feet. 

 The root of this and some other congeners is a powerful emmenagogue. 

 A variety with tawny fibre furnishes the Nankin-cotton. 



Gossypium hirsutum, Linnd* 



Upland- or Short-staple Cotton. Tropical America, cultivated most 

 extensively in the United States, Southern Europe and many other 

 countries. Perennial. Seeds brownish-green, disconnected, after the 

 removal of the cotton-fibre greenish- velvety. Staple white, almost of 

 a silky lustre, not easily separable. A portion of the Queensland- 

 cotton is obtained from this species. It neither requires the coast- 

 tracts nor the highly attentive culture of G. Barbadense. 



Gossypium religiosum, Linn<$.* (G. Peruvianum, Cavauilles.) 



Tropical South -America, southward to Chili. Kidney- Cotton, 

 Peruvian or Brazilian Cotton. Leaves long-lobed. Petals yellow. 



