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Upland Cotton

How to identify Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)

Upland Cotton, also known as American Upland Cotton, Golden Cotton, Cotton

Upland Cotton exhibits robust, upright stature and can reach heights of up to 6 feet (1.8 meters). Its leaves are broad and palmate, divided into 3 to 5 lobes, with a heart-shaped base and pointed tips. The plant's surface is covered with fine hairs giving it a soft and downy texture. Flowers are creamy white to yellow, with a splash of purple or red at the base, and bloom in a cup-shaped formation. They give way to rounded fruit capsules known as bolls, which burst open upon maturity to reveal white, fluffy fibers within.

Lifespan

Lifespan: Perennial, Annual

Plant Type

Plant Type: Tree, Shrub

Leaf Type

Leaf Type: Deciduous

Quickly Identify Upland Cotton

1

Broad palmate leaves with 3-5 lobes and soft hairs.

2

Creamy white to yellow flowers with red or purple base.

3

Dry capsule fruit with pointed tip and white fluffy fibers.

4

Cordate leaves with distinct ovate-triangular lobes and soft texture.

5

Flower color transformation from whitish/yellow to purplish/red.

Upland CottonUpland CottonUpland CottonUpland CottonUpland Cotton

Detailed Traits of Upland Cotton

Leaf Features

The leaves of upland Cotton are green, cordate, and alternate, measuring 3-6 inches (7.5-15 cm) long and wide. These leaves are broadly ovate, divided into 3-5 lobes. The lobes range from triangular to ovate-orbicular in shape, offering a distinctive intermediate form between egg-shaped and round. The texture is typically soft and slightly hairy, with a prominent central vein and a network of smaller veins branching out, adding to their identifiable characteristics.

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Flower Features

Upland Cotton produces 6-8 large, cup-shaped flowers with 5 petals on fertile branches. Each funnel-shaped flower starts whitish or yellow and gradually becomes purplish or reddish. The outermost calyx consists of 5 triangular, hairy lobes. Inside, the stamens form a column 0.4 to 0.8 inches (1-2 cm) long. The flowers typically appear individually in the leaf axil. This bright transformation during blooming makes upland Cotton flowers distinctive and easy to identify.

Upland Cotton Flower image
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Fruit Features

The fruit of upland Cotton is a dry, dehiscent capsule that transitions from light green to brown as it matures. Sized at 1.5-2.5 inches (3.8-6.4 cm) in diameter, this round yet somewhat egg-shaped capsule is distinguished by a pointed tip and contains 3-4 compartments. It houses around 36 seeds which are unattached and surrounded by white, wooly fibers, known as cotton. These seeds are approximately 1.4-2 inches (3.5-5 cm) in length and nestled within the capsule, which undergoes a dehiscence process to release the fibers and seeds.

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Key Facts About Upland Cotton

Attributes of Upland Cotton
Lifespan
Perennial, Annual
Leaf Color
Green
Flower Size
2.5 cm to 8 cm
Flower Color
White
Yellow
Pink
Gold
Fruit Color
Brown
Green
Copper
Leaf type
Deciduous
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Scientific Classification of Upland Cotton

Family
Mallow
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Genus
Cottons
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Species
Upland Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum)
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Distribution Map of Upland Cotton

Upland Cotton is native to regions in Central and North America, specifically within subtropical areas. It has been introduced to multiple locations including South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, parts of South America, the Mediterranean basin, Southeast Asia, and Eastern Europe. This global spread highlights its adaptability to various climates outside of its native range.
Native
Cultivated
Invasive
Potentially invasive
Exotic
No species reported
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