«6 MALVACEM. [Gosstpium. 



Wight Ic. 1. 11 ; Royle III. 98, t 23, f. I. F. B. I. I, 346 (in part) ; Field 

 ^ Gard. Crops I. 75, t. XVIII (see footnote). Vern. Kajads, hari, 

 manua, radya. 



SulD-herbaceoTis. Leaves 3-5-7-lobed, extra tooth in sinua less distinct 

 thsin in G. arhoreum ; lobes narrowly lanceolate, rarely bristle-tipped, 

 densely clothed with long spreading hairs ; and, if hybridized with G, 

 Wightianum, with stellate hairs as well. Inflorescence on short lateral 

 branches. 2-i-flowered. Flowers yellow with a purple centre, or yellow 

 tinged with purple. Bracieoles large, with greatly elongated lateral ears, 

 toothed at the apex. Ovary pointed. Seeds with green velvet below 

 the floss. 



Extensively grown as a field-crop in the Upper Gangetic Plain, also in 

 Bengal and in the Punjab. Whether treated as a species, variety or 

 hybrid, it is necessary to assign to this plant a sufficiently prominent 

 position in this flora by reason of its economic importance, although 

 under other circumstances it might not be necessary to regard it as more 

 than constituting a series of hybrids connecting G arhoreum with some 

 form of G. herhaceum. The cotton yielded by this plant is classed 

 commercially under the name of " Bengals." 



3. G. hertoaceum, Linn. 8p. PI. 693 ; Boxb. Fl. Ind. Hi, 184 (inpaii) ; 

 F. B. I. i, 346 (,in part) ; Todaro Bel. Cult. Cot. 131, t. IV. fig. a. h. c. ; 

 DC. L'Orig. PI. Cult. 328. 



The typical form of this species is, according to Todaro, a native of 

 Asia, and perhaps also of Egypt, but does not extend to India. Speci- 

 mens have, however, been gathered from cultivated plants at Gilgit and 

 elsewhere within the North-West frontier. It differs fromfthe ordinary 

 Indian cottons by its broader leaves and with the lobes more rounded, 

 the absence of felted hairs, and by the more acute and shortly toothed 

 bracteoles. 



4. C. Wightianum, Todaro Oss. 8p. Cot. 47; Rel. Cult. Cot 141, t. IV, 

 figs. 1-9; WattE. D. G. herbaceum, Wight let. 9; F.B.I, i, 816 {in 

 part). G. album, W. ^ A. Prod. 54. 



Stems erect, somewhat hairy. Leaves when young densely matted with 

 short stellate hairs, which fall off in patches, leaving a few scattered all 

 over both surfaces, ovate-rotund, almost obsoletely cordate, 3-5 rarely 

 7-lobed ; lobes ovate-oblong, lacute, constricted at the base into the 

 rounded sinus which in the young leaves rises up as a fold ; stipules on 

 the peduncles almost ovate, the others linear-lanceolate, acuminate. 

 Flowers yellow with a deep purple patch at the base, becoming reddish 

 on the outside on passing maturity. Bracteoles small, ovate, cordate, 

 acute, shortly toothed. Seeds with very short firmly-adhering velvet ; 

 wool white or tinged with red. 



This plant, which Professor Todaro alludes to as the species of the 

 greatest importance to India, is grown to some extent within the Upper 

 Gangetic area along with G. neglectum, between which and G., arhoreum 

 it has formed numerous hybrids. In its purer forms it is found more 

 abundantly in the western portion of India, from the Punjab and Eajpn- 

 tana southward to Bombay. G. Wightianum possesses considerable 



