cotton
Sign in to saveCotton (from Arabic qutn) is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus Gossypium in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose and may contain minor percentages of waxes, fats, pectins, and water. Under natural conditions, cotton bolls facilitate the dispersal of the seeds.
AI overview
Cotton is a soft, fluffy fiber that grows in protective cases around the seeds of certain plants and is composed almost entirely of cellulose. It has been important throughout history as a material for making textiles and other products, and it remains one of the most widely used natural fibers in the world today.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
50 sectionsContents
- Types
- Etymology
- History
- Early history
- Americas
- South Asia
- Levant
- Iran
- Arabia
- Kingdom of Kush
- China
- Middle Ages
- Eastern world
- Europe
- Early modern period
- Mughal India
- Egypt
- Britain
- East India Company
- Industrial Revolution
- United States
- The Moon
- Cultivation
- Water footprint
- Genetic modification
- Organic production
- Pests and weeds
- Global pest problems
- North American insect pests
- Harvesting
- Competition from synthetic fibers
- Competition from natural fibers
- Uses
- Cottonseed
- Cotton linters
- Long staple cotton
- Ornamental use
- International trade
- Production
- Fair trade
- Trading
- Critical temperatures
- Fiber properties
- Morphology
- Dead cotton
- Genome
- See also
- References
- Further reading
- External links
Cotton (from Arabic qutn) is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus Gossypium in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose and may contain minor percentages of waxes, fats, pectins, and water. Under natural conditions, cotton bolls facilitate the dispersal of the seeds.
The plant is a shrub native to tropical and subtropical regions around the world, including the Americas, Africa (including Egypt) and India. The greatest diversity of wild cotton species is found in Mexico, followed by Australia and Africa. Cotton was independently domesticated in the Old and New Worlds.