Malvaceae · Gossypium

Kapas / Cotton Plant

Gossypium arboreum

Also known as Tree Cotton

ShrubMedicinal
Habit
Shrub
Found in India
Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Gujarat & more
Flowering
September-February

Plant Details

Scientific name
Gossypium arboreum
Genus
Gossypium
Family
Malvaceae
Habit
Shrub
Habitat
Cultivated
Habitat type
Cultivated
Distribution
Paleotropics
Found in India
Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand
Flowering & fruiting
September-February
Conservation status
Not Evaluated (NE)

Leaf characters

Leaf shape
LanceolaterecordedLong and narrow, tapering to a point, like a lance head.Stipules are present at the leaf base and they are linear to lanceolate in shape and sometimes falcate (i.e. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0
Lobed leaf margin
Leaf margin
LobedrecordedThe edge is divided into rounded or pointed sections that don't reach the midrib.The blades are ovate to orbicular in shape and have five to seven lobes, making them superficially resemble a maple leaf. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Arrangement
Alternate
Simple type leaf character
Type
Simple
Palmate venation leaf character
Venation
Palmate

Characters marked “recorded” are for Kapas itself; the rest are typical of the Malvaceae family.

Flower & fruit characters

Flower colour
Yellowrecorded
Fruit type
CapsulerecordedA dry fruit from a fused ovary that splits open at maturity to release seeds.The fruit is a three- or four-celled capsule measuring 1.5 to 2.5 centimetres (0.59 to 0.98 in) across. — Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0

Typical of the family

Inflorescence
Solitary
Fruit
Capsule

Characters marked “recorded” are for Kapas itself; the rest are typical of the Malvaceae family — flowering plants only.

Local Names

Hindi
Kapas कपास
Nepali
रुख कपास Rukh kapas, कपासको बोट
Bengali
কার্পাস, কার্পাস তুলা
Tamil
பருத்தி parutthi
Kannada
ಹತ್ತಿ Hatti, ಪತ್ತಿ Patti, ಪರ್ತಿ Parti
Marathi
कापूस Kapoos

About Kapas

A member of the Malvaceae family, Cotton plant (Gossypium arboreum) is a shrub. In India it has been recorded in Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Gujarat and 7 other states. It is cultivated. Flowering and fruiting run from September to February.

Illustration representing the Malvaceae family
Botanical family

Malvaceae

Mallow/Hibiscus family

Kapas belongs to the Malvaceae family.

The illustration represents the family — not necessarily this exact species.

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Common plant problems

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