Gossypium hirsutum L.

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Photo: Bart Wursten
Lower slopes of Mt Gorongosa, Mozambique

Synonyms:
Common names:	Cotton (English)
Description:	Annual or short-lived perennial shrublet up to 1.5m tall. Leaves almost round in outline, 3-5-lobed to about halfway. Flowers in 1-several flowered clusters, cream to pale yellow, fading pink, with or without dark centre. Epicalyx of 3 large leaf-like bracts. Fruit a round capsule 2-4 cm in diameter, splitting to release the seeds covered in dense white cotton wool.
Notes:
Derivation of specific name:	hirsutum: covered with long, moderately stiff and not interwoven hairs; hirsute
Flowering time:	Feb - May
Worldwide distribution:	Native to Central America
Growth form(s):
Insects associated with this species:	Utetheisa pulchella (Food plant) Egybolis vaillantina (Food plant)
Spot characters:	Display spot characters for this species
Image last updated:	Sunday 31 January 2010
Literature:	Mapaura, A. & Timberlake, J. (eds) (2004). A checklist of Zimbabwean vascular plants Southern African Botanical Diversity Network Report No. 33 Sabonet, Pretoria and Harare Page 60.

Flora of Mozambique: Gossypium hirsutum
Flora of Zimbabwe: Gossypium hirsutum
Flora of Zimbabwe: cultivated Gossypium hirsutum

African Plants: A Photo Guide (Senckenberg): Gossypium hirsutum
African Plant Database: Gossypium hirsutum
BHL (Biodiversity Heritage Library): Gossypium hirsutum
EOL (Encyclopedia of Life): Gossypium hirsutum
GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility): Gossypium hirsutum
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iNaturalist: Gossypium hirsutum
IPNI (International Plant Names Index): Gossypium hirsutum
JSTOR Plant Science: Gossypium hirsutum
Mansfeld World Database of Agricultural and Horticultural Crops: Gossypium hirsutum
Plants of the World Online: Gossypium hirsutum
Tropicos: Gossypium hirsutum
Wikipedia: Gossypium hirsutum