GOSSYPIUM HERBACEUM

Common name: Cotton • Hindi: Kapas कपास • Tamil: பருத்தி parutthi

Botanical name:   Gossypium arboreum  

Family: Malvaceae (Mallow family)

Introduction: Native to Northwest India and Pakistan and as far back as 2000 BC it was being used by the Harappan civilization of the Indus Valley in the production of cotton textiles. Some cultivars are tall perennial shrubs, others short annuals. One of the perennial cultivars was introduced to East Africa and 2000 years ago was being grown by the Meroe people of Nubia who are considered to be the first cotton weavers in Africa. This variety of cotton was spread to other parts of Africa including Kano in Nigeria which from the 9th century became a cotton manufacturing centre. In the wild cotton shrubs can grow up to 10 ft high. The leaves are broad and have three to five or even seven lobes. Flowers are short-stalked. False sepals are large ovate, nearly entire or toothed, heart-shaped at base, long-pointed at tip. Sepal-cup is small, about 5 mm long, cup-shaped, somewhat 5-toothed. Flowers are pale yellow with or without purple centre, and sometimes entirely purple, 3-4 cm long. Stamen-tube is 1.5-2 cm long. The capsule, called a boll, is 1.5-2.5 cm across, ovoid or oblong, beaked, glabrous, pitted, 3-4-celled. Each seed is surrounded by a downy fibre called lint.

Geographical distribution

The plant is cultivated throughout India.

Chemical composition

Seeds contain triglycerides of fatty acids mainly palmitic, oleic and linoleic acid.

Therapeutic uses

The root-bark is a substitute for ergot as an abortifacient; it is an efficient emmenagogue and is used in uterine disorders. Seeds are laxative, expectorant, antidysentric, aphrodisiac, demulcent, nervine tonic and abortifacient.

Folk medicinal uses

A poultice of the leaves and seeds is applied to bruises, sores, swellings, burns and scalds. The juice of the leaves, in doses of one to two gm. or their infusion with the addition of limejuice is given in diarrhoea and dysentery. The leaf juice of the plant is to be inhaled 2-3 times a day through nostrils for 4-5 days. It is stated that by doing this all worms (fly larvae) are expelled.

Preparations

Oil of seeds and cotton fibres.

Flowers and Fruits : September-October