Gossypium

For information on cotton production, industry, history, and applications, see cotton.For the clothing company, see Gossypium (clothes). Gossypium is a genus of 39-40 species of shrubs in the family Malvaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions of both the Old World and the New World. The cotton plants, sources of commercial cotton fabric, are included in this genus. Cotton shrubs can grow up to 3 m (10 ft) high. The leaves are broad and lobed, with three to five (or rarely seven) lobes. The seeds are contained in a capsule called a boll, each seed surrounded by downy fibres called lint. Commercial species of cotton plant are G. hirsutum (90% of world production), G. barbadense (8%), G. arboreum and G. herbaceum (together, 2%). While the lint (fiber) naturally occurs in colors of white, brown, and green, fears of contaminating the genetics of white cotton has led many cotton-growing locations to ban growing of coloured cotton varieties.
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Noun
1. herbs and shrubs and small trees: cotton
(synonym) genus Gossypium
(hypernym) dilleniid dicot genus
(member-holonym) Malvaceae, family Malvaceae, mallow family
(member-meronym) cotton, cotton plant

(n.)
A genus of plants which yield the cotton of the arts. The species are much confused. G. herbaceum is the name given to the common cotton plant, while the long-stapled sea-island cotton is produced by G. Barbadense, a shrubby variety. There are several other kinds besides these.
  

N
cotton wool| cotton