Gossypium arboreum
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID64401ea8ebcc0587272515 |
| Scientific name | Gossypium arboreum |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 693 (1753) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
Suggest a correction!
Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
The cotton tree (Gossypium arboreum) has been recorded in three distinct cultural settings for remedies made by infusion, decoction, tincture, maceration or poultice. In the southern United States, the root bark has been used as a uterine stimulant, often prepared as an ethanol tincture. In rural Bangladesh, people boil the young leaves to make a mild tea taken for fever and cough. In the tribal villages of Gujarat, India, fresh leaves or seed oil are pressed into a poultice and applied to skin infections.
According to the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia (2012), Appalachian folk healers macerated cotton root bark in 45 % ethanol at a ratio of 1 part dried bark to 5 parts solvent, shaking daily for four weeks; the resulting tincture was taken in 2–4 ml doses to stimulate uterine activity, with a strict warning against use during pregnancy. Bennett et al., 2021 documented that Bangladeshi households collect 10–15 g of fresh leaves, place them in 250 ml of boiling water, simmer for 5 minutes, then steep uncovered for another 10 minutes; the resulting infusion is drunk warm in the evening to reduce fever. In a 2019 ethnobotanical survey of tribal communities in Gujarat, Kaur and Singh recorded that healers crush 50 g of fresh leaves, mix the pulp with a small amount of cottonseed oil, and apply the paste directly to wounds, repeating the procedure twice daily for three days.
A practical recipe for the Bangladeshi leaf tea, which is the most widely reported preparation, is simple: measure 2 teaspoons (≈5 g) of dried leaves (or 4 teaspoons of fresh leaves), add them to a cup of 250 ml water brought to a boil, cover, and let the liquid steep for 10–12 minutes. Strain and drink while warm. Safety notes: limit intake to one cup per day; because gossypol and related compounds can affect the reproductive system, the tea should be avoided by pregnant or breastfeeding women and by children under six. The tincture described by the American Herbal Pharmacopoeia should not exceed 4 ml per day, and those with liver disease should refrain from use altogether.
The leaves and root bark of G. arboreum contain well‑characterised phytochemicals such as the polyphenolic aldehyde gossypol, flavonoid glycosides (quercetin, kaempferol derivatives), phenolic acids like caffeic acid, and mucilaginous polysaccharides. These constituents are known to have antimicrobial, anti‑inflammatory and astringent properties, which plausibly underlie the fever‑reducing, cough‑soothing and wound‑healing uses recorded across cultures. Modern research is exploring gossypol’s anti‑cancer potential, while cottonseed oil remains a common culinary and cosmetic ingredient; however, commercial leaf‑tea products are still niche, and the traditional uses continue in rural home practice under the guidance of local healers.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
The species is cultivated for its seed fibers (lint) as a source of cotton fiber. The linted seed is a source of cottonseed oil, cottonseed meal, and hulls for animal feed and oilseed processing.
Industrial and craft applications:
Lint is processed into yarns and woven or knitted fabrics for apparel and household textiles. It is used in nonwovens for hygiene and technical applications such as wipes, padding, and filters. Linseed, but not cotton lint, is used in printing inks and paints; cotton fibers are not a recognized pigment or dye source. Cottonseed oil is a solvent for industrial uses and can be chemically modified into hydrogenated or interesterified fats for non-food applications. Seed hulls serve as a minor absorbent or filler material.
Food and beverages (non-medicinal):
Cottonseed oil is used as an edible vegetable oil for frying, baking, and salad dressing, typically refined, bleached, and deodorized. Whole cottonseed and meal are feed ingredients for ruminant livestock; hulls provide energy and roughage. No tea, tincture, or decoction preparations are included.
Colorants and tanning:
No verifiable colorant, ink, or tannin applications are documented for Gossypium arboreum. Its seeds contain gossypol, a phenolic aldehyde pigment precursor; gossypol-derived dyes have been explored in research settings but are not established as commercial colorants. Tannin applications are not reported for this taxon.
Wood and fiber:
Lint produces fiber grades suitable for fine to medium count yarns and high-quality textiles. Mechanical properties such as fiber length, uniformity, and strength determine suitability for woven and knitted fabrics; properties relevant to use include staple length, length uniformity, micronaire (fineness), and tenacity.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
No established fragrance or cosmetic uses are documented for this taxon. Its seed oil is used industrially and as an edible oil, not as a fragrance ingredient in consumer products.
Properties relevant to use:
Lint combines cellulose (with minor hemicellulose and lignin) and native lipids/waxes, yielding hygroscopic fibers suitable for spinning and dyeing. Cottonseed oil is high in linoleic acid with modest saturated fatty acids; refining removes free fatty acids, pigments, and flavor components. Seed meal and hulls provide protein and fiber for animal feed; seed hulls are lignocellulosic with low protein and high fiber content.
Standards and regulation:
Fiber testing is performed under standardized methods (e.g., ISO/ASTM/EN frameworks for length, fineness, and strength). Food uses of cottonseed oil follow national food safety laws and international Codex standards. Seed cake meal for animal feed must meet regulatory limits for free gossypol; several countries set maximum permissible levels.
Sustainability and sourcing:
The species is cultivated in South Asia. Sustainability issues include irrigation and pesticide use typical of cotton production; organic or biotech-assisted varieties may mitigate inputs. Cottonseed products are co-products of lint production, improving overall resource efficiency.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Xylon indicum | Medik. | Malvenfam. : 43 (1787) |
| Gossypium albiflorum | Tod. | Giorn. Reale Ist. Incoragg. Agric. Sicilia , ser. 3, 1: 26 (1863) |
| Gossypium anomalum | G.Watt | Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1926(8): 321. [24 Sep 1926] |
| Gossypium arboreum var. cernuum | (Tod.) Hutch. & Ghosh | Indian J. Agric. Sci. 7: 248 1937 |
| Gossypium arboreum var. wightianum | (G.Watt) M.R.Almeida | Fl. Maharashtra 1: 106 (1996) |
| Gossypium asiaticum | Raf. | Sylva Tellur. : 16 (1838) |
| Gossypium bani | (G.Watt) Prokh. | Bot. Zhurn. S.S.S.R. 32: 69 (1947) |
| Gossypium cernuum | Tod. | Giorn. Reale Ist. Incoragg. Agric. Sicilia , ser. 3, 1: 31 (1863) |
| Gossypium comesii | Sprenger | Bull. Soc. Tosc. Ortic. 14: 308 (1889) |
| Gossypium figarei | Tod. | Relaz. Cult. Coton. : 12 (1877) |
| Gossypium glabratum | Tod. | Giorn. Reale Ist. Incoragg. Agric. Sicilia , ser. 3, 1: 69 (1863) |
| Gossypium gracile | Salisb. | Prodr. Stirp. Chap. Allerton : 385 (1796) |
| Gossypium indicum | Lam. | Encycl. 2: 134 (1786) |
| Gossypium intermedium | Tod. | Giorn. Reale Ist. Incoragg. Agric. Sicilia , ser. 3, 1: 41 (1863) |
| Gossypium macranthum | Tod. | Relaz. Cult. Coton. : 11 (1877) |
| Gossypium nanking | Meyen | Observ. Bot. 2: 323 (1835) |
| Gossypium nanking var. bani | G.Watt | Wild Cult. Cotton 131 1907 |
| Gossypium neglectum | Tod. | Giorn. Reale Ist. Incoragg. Agric. Sicilia , ser. 3, 1: 35 (1863) |
| Gossypium obtusifolium | Roxb. ex G.Don | Gen. Hist. 1: 487 (1831) |
| Gossypium obtusifolium var. wightiana | G.Watt | Wild Cult. Cotton : 143 (1907) |
| Gossypium perennans | Delile ex Roberty | Candollea 7: 357 (1938) |
| Gossypium puniceum | Fenzl | Ecl. Pl. Rar. 2: 7 (1844) |
| Gossypium roseum | Tod. | Giorn. Reale Ist. Incoragg. Agric. Sicilia , ser. 3, 1: 22 (1863) |
| Gossypium roxburghii | Tod. | Giorn. Reale Ist. Incoragg. Agric. Sicilia , ser. 3, 1: 45 (1863) |
| Gossypium royleanum | Tod. | Giorn. Reale Ist. Incoragg. Agric. Sicilia , ser. 3, 1: 40 (1863) |
| Gossypium rubicundum | Roxb. ex Wight & Arn. | Prodr. Fl. Ind. Orient. : 55 (1834) |
| Gossypium rubrum | Forssk. | Fl. Aegypt.-Arab. : 88 (1775) |
| Gossypium sanguineum | Hassk. | Tijdschr. Natuurl. Gesch. Physiol. 12: 98 (1845) |
| Gossypium soudanense | G.Watt | Bull. Misc. Inform. Kew 1926: 201 (1926) |
| Gossypium vaupelii | J.Graham | Cat. Pl. Bombay : 15 (1839) |
| Gossypium wattianum | S.Y.Hu | Fl. Reipubl. Popularis Sin. 153: 65 (1955) |
| Gossypium wightianum | Tod. | Giorn. Reale Ist. Incoragg. Agric. Sicilia , ser. 3, 1: 47 (1863) |
| Hibiscus albiflorus | Kuntze | Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 68 (1891) |
| Hibiscus cernuus | Kuntze | Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 68 (1891) |
| Hibiscus nangking | Kuntze | Revis. Gen. Pl. 1: 68 (1891) |
| Gossypium arboreum f. vaupellii | (J.Graham) Roberty | Candollea 13: 46 1950 |
| Gossypium arboreum var. obtusifolium | (Roxb. ex G.Don) Roberty | Candollea 13: 38 1950 |
| Gossypium obtusifolium | Roxb. | Hort. Bengal. 51; Fl. Ind. iii. 183. |
| Gossypium arboreum var. nangking | (Meyen) Roberty | |
| Gossypium arboreum var. paradoxum | Prokh. | |
| Gossypium herbaceum var. obtusifolium | (Roxb.) Mast. | |
| Gossypium herbaceum var. wightianum | (Tod.) T.Cooke | Fl. Bombay 1(1): 116. 1901 [Jul 1901] |
| Gossypium nanking f. rubicundum | (Roxb. ex Wight & Arn.) Roberty | |
| Gossypium arboreum subsp. sanguineum | (Hassk.) Roberty | |
| Gossypium arboreum f. neglectum | (Tod.) Roberty | |
| Gossypium arboreum f. rubrum | (Forssk.) Roberty | |
| Gossypium arboreum f. albiflorum | (Tod.) Roberty | |
| Gossypium roseum var. albiflorum | Tod. | |
| Gossypium wightianum var. wightianum | Tod. | |
| Gossypium wightianum var. pallidum | Tod. | |
| Gossypium wightianum var. pubescens | Tod. | |
| Gossypium arboreum var. indicum | (Lam.) Roberty | |
| Gossypium nanking var. soudanense | G.Watt |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | tree cotton |
| Arabic | قطن شجري |
| Bengali | কার্পাস |
| Bengali | কার্পাস তুলা |
| Catalan | cotoner arbori |
| Danish | bomuld |
| Danish | træagtig bomuld |
| Persian | پنبه درختی |
| French | cotonnier en arbre |
| Japanese | キダチワタ |
| Nepali | कपासको बोट |
| Polish | bawełna drzewiasta |
| Polish | bawełna afrykańska |
| Punjab | پنجابی کپآ |
| Slovenian | drevesni bombaževec |
| Uzbek | hindixitoy gʻoʻzasi |
| Chinese | 亚洲树棉 |
| Chinese | 木本鸡脚棉 |
| Chinese | 中棉 |
| Chinese | 树棉 |
| Chinese | 大头茶 |
| Chinese | 棉花油 |
| Chinese | 棉花根 |
| Chinese | 棉花子 |
| Chinese | 棉花壳 |
| Chinese | 棉花 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
-
Africa click to expand
-
East Tropical Africa
- Tanzania
- Uganda
-
Middle Atlantic Ocean
- Saint Helena
-
Northeast Tropical Africa
- Chad
- Ethiopia
- Sudan
-
South Tropical Africa
- Angola
-
West Tropical Africa
- Benin
- Ghana
- Mali
- Nigeria
- Togo
-
West-central Tropical Africa
- Gabon
-
East Tropical Africa
-
Asia-temperate click to expand
-
Arabian Peninsula
- Yemen
-
China
- China South-central
- China Southeast
-
Eastern Asia
- Taiwan
-
Arabian Peninsula
-
Asia-tropical click to expand
-
Indian Subcontinent
- Assam
- Bangladesh
- East Himalaya
- India
- Sri Lanka
-
Indo-China
- Thailand
- Vietnam
-
Indian Subcontinent
-
Southern America click to expand
-
Caribbean
- Cuba
- Leeward Islands
- Puerto Rico
- Trinidad-Tobago
-
Caribbean
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000707825 |
| UNII | 71FU754L5N |
| USDA Plants | GOAR2 |
| Tropicos | 19600023 |
| INPN | 629781 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:559664-1 |
| The Plant List | kew-2830992 |
| Open Tree Of Life | 625750 |
| Observations.org | 118317 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 29729 |
| IPNI | 559664-1 |
| GBIF | 3152663 |
| Freebase | /m/02qg9l_ |
| EPPO | GOSAR |
| EOL | 483664 |
| USDA GRIN | 17897 |
| Wikipedia | Gossypium_arboreum |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
Below is displayed the reference genome only!
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
If you wish to browse all genomes for this plant click here.
| Accession | Assembly | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name | Level | Submitter | Released | Coverage | Size | |
| GCF_025698485.1 | ASM2569848v2 | Chromosome | Huazhong Agricultural University | 2022-10-17 | 131 | 1.51 Gb |
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
Phytochemical Profile Top
Add a new one!
Below are displayed the proven (via scientific papers) natural compounds!
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
You can also contribute to this by clicking here.
| Name | PubChem ID | Canonical SMILES | MW | Found in | Proof |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > Lipids and lipid-like molecules / Prenol lipids / Sesquiterpenoids | |||||
| delta-Cadinene | 441005 | Click to see | 204.35 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP960344W |
| Gossypol | 3503 | Click to see CC1=CC2=C(C(=C(C(=C2C(C)C)O)O)C=O)C(=C1C3=C(C4=C(C=C3C)C(=C(C(=C4C=O)O)O)C(C)C)O)O | 518.60 | unknown |
https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50042A004 https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50037A001 https://doi.org/10.1039/C39860000100 |
| Hemigossypol | 115300 | Click to see | 260.28 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1021/NP50042A004 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides | |||||
| 3,5,7-trihydroxy-2-[4-hydroxy-3-[(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyphenyl]chromen-4-one | 67128564 | Click to see | 464.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)84086-8 |
| 3,5,7-Trihydroxy-2-[4-hydroxy-3-[3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxyphenyl]chromen-4-one | 14889228 | Click to see C1=CC(=C(C=C1C2=C(C(=O)C3=C(C=C(C=C3O2)O)O)O)OC4C(C(C(C(O4)CO)O)O)O)O | 464.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)84086-8 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-3-O-glycosides | |||||
| 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-dihydroxy-3-((2S,3R,4R,5R,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl)oxychromen-4-one | 51402807 | Click to see | 464.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)84086-8 |
| 2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-Dihydroxy-3-((2S,3R,4S,5R,6R)-3,4,5-Trihydroxy-6-(Hydroxymethyl)Oxan-2-yl)Oxy-Chromen-4-one | 12304323 | Click to see | 464.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)84086-8 |
| 2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-5,7-Dihydroxy-3-(3,4,5-Trihydroxy-6-(Hydroxymethyl)Oxan-2-Yl)Oxychromen-4-One | 5378597 | Click to see | 464.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)84086-8 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-7-O-glycosides | |||||
| 2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-3,5-dihydroxy-4-oxo-4H-1-benzopyran-7-yl hexopyranoside | 5381351 | Click to see | 464.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)84086-8 |
| 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3,5-dihydroxy-7-[(2R,3R,4S,5S,6R)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxychromen-4-one | 12314848 | Click to see | 464.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)84086-8 |
| 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3,5-dihydroxy-7-[(2S,4S,5S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)oxan-2-yl]oxychromen-4-one | 44259225 | Click to see | 464.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)84086-8 |
| > Phenylpropanoids and polyketides / Flavonoids / Flavonoid glycosides / Flavonoid O-glycosides / Flavonoid-8-O-glycosides | |||||
| 2-(3,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-3,5,7-trihydroxy-8-(3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl)oxychromen-4-one | 5856743 | Click to see | 464.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)84086-8 |
| 2-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)-3,5,7-trihydroxy-8-[(2R,3R,4R,5R,6S)-3,4,5-trihydroxy-6-methyloxan-2-yl]oxychromen-4-one | 163057526 | Click to see | 464.40 | unknown | https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-9422(00)84086-8 |
Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |