Short answers, pulled from the story.
About 90% of all cotton produced globally comes from cultivars derived from Gossypium hirsutum. In the United States, the world's largest cotton exporter, the share is even higher at approximately 95%.
Gossypium hirsutum is native to a range stretching from Mexico to Ecuador and northeast Brazil, the Leeward Antilles in the Caribbean, and Pacific island groups including Fiji, the Marianas, Polynesia, and the Revillagigedo Islands.
Gossypium hirsutum is believed to have formed when wild Mexican cotton mixed with Gossypium herbaceum roughly 5-10 million years ago. The resulting hybrid species acquired 52 chromosomes through polyploidy, giving it four pairs of chromosomes.
Archaeological evidence from the Tehuacan Valley in Mexico shows cultivation of Gossypium hirsutum as far back as 3,500 BC. This is the earliest evidence of cotton cultivation found in the Americas.
Long staple upland and short staple upland are the two main categories of Gossypium hirsutum varieties, distinguished by the length of the individual cotton fiber. Long staple varieties are the most widely cultivated in commercial production.
The Zuni people use Gossypium hirsutum to make ceremonial garments. The cottony fuzz from the plant is also twisted into cords that serve ceremonial purposes.