What is Gossypium hirsutum?
Gossypium hirsutum stands as the most widely planted species of cotton in the world. About 90% of all global cotton production comes from cultivars derived from this single plant.
Questions about Gossypium hirsutum
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When was Gossypium hirsutum first cultivated?
Archeological evidence from the Tehuacan Valley in Mexico shows cultivation dates back to 3,500 BC. This finding represents the earliest known evidence of cotton farming anywhere in the Americas.
Where does Gossypium hirsutum grow naturally?
Native ranges stretch across Mexico, the West Indies, northern South America, and Central America. Some evidence suggests it may also grow naturally in tropical Florida.
How do farmers use Gossypium hirsutum varieties?
The species includes numerous varieties or cross-bred cultivars with varying fiber lengths called long staple upland and short staple upland. Farmers select specific types based on tolerance to different growing conditions.
Did the Zuni people use Gossypium hirsutum for ceremonies?
The Zuni people use this plant to make ceremonial garments according to historical records. Matilda Coxe Stevenson documented these practices in her 1915 Ethnobotany of the Zuni Indians report.
What pest control mechanism does Gossypium hirsutum have?
This species shows extrafloral nectar production that attracts parasitic wasps for pest control. Rose, Lewis, and Tumlinson published research on this mechanism in Functional Ecology during 2006.