American cotton (Gossypium barbadense)
Description
Gossypium barbadense, also known as extra-long staple (ELS) cotton, is a species of cotton plant that has been cultivated to have extra-long staple fibers - longer than 34 mm (1 3/8"), that are associated with high quality products. Varieties of ELS cotton include WISICA Sea Island, American Pima, Egyptian ELS Gizas, Indian Suvin, and Chinese xinjiang. It is a tropical, frost-sensitive perennial plant that produces yellow flowers and has black seeds. It grows as a small, bushy tree and yields cotton with unusually long, silky fibers. To grow, it requires full sun and high humidity and rainfall. This plant contains the chemical gossypol, which reduces its susceptibility to insect and fungal damage.
Taxonomic tree
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Domain: Eukarya
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Kingdom: Plantae
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Phylum: Magnoliophyta
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Class: Magnoliopsida
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Order: Malvales
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Family: Malvaceae
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Genus: Gossypium
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