Levant cotton

English name: Levant cotton

Scientific name: Gossypium herbacium L.

Bangla/local name: ‘Karpas tula’

Taxonomic Position According to Cronquist (1988)

Kingdom        : Plantae

Division          :Magnoliophyta

Class               : Magnoliopsida

Subclass          :Dilleniidae

Order              : Malvales

Family             : Malvaceae

Genus             : Gossypium

Species            : G. herbacium

Botanical Description of Levant Cotton

Habit: Annual herb or under shrub

Root: Tap root system, much branched

Stem: Erect, woody in mature, branched

Leaf: petiolate, ovate-round, cordate, palmately lobed

Inflorescence: Solitary axillary

Flower: Complete, hermaphrodite

Fruit: Dry dehiscent, capsule

Economic Importance: Cottons belonging to this species constitute a fairly large percentage of medium staple cotton that is utilized commercially for low quality fabrics, carpets and blankets and is especially suitable for blending with wool. In India, the cotton seeds are medicinally used for abortion, the herbaceous parts contain much mucilage and are used as a demulcent.

Table 1. Cotton variety released by Cotton Development Board (CDB)