Gossypium hirsutum Linnaeus. Common name: Upland Cotton, Short-staple Cotton. Phenology: Jul-Sep. Habitat: Coastal hammocks, rockland hammock edges, coastal rock barrens (in FL peninsula), disturbed areas, a frequently cultivated crop, especially in sandy soils of the Coastal Plain, rarely adventive or a waif where grown. Distribution: Native of Central America, South America, the West Indies, and s. FL (see comments).

Origin/Endemic status: Neotropics

Taxonomy Comments: Plants in the FL Keys have larger and creamy white to pinkish flowers and petals with a maroon blotch near the base, while those from mainland s. FL have smaller flowers and uniformly pale yellowish petals, perhaps reflecting different races (R. Hammer, pers.comm., 2019). Several varieties were invalidly named based on FL material (Fryxell 1976).

Other Comments: Probably first domesticated in the Yucatan Peninsula. See Wunderlin et al. (2024) for a discussion on this species' nativity as a wild-growing plant in Florida. "Gossypium hirsutum is native to coastal south Florida (d'Eeckenbrugge & Lacape 2014). The cotton boll weevil (Anthonomus grandis) is thought to be native primarily to southern Mexico (Jones 2001), and was detected in Texas in 1892 and in wild cotton plants of Florida in 1932. The host plants of the weevil may include Cienfuegosia, Gossypium, Hampea, Hibiscus, and Thespesia (Jones 2001). Although G. hirsutum is now considered a state-threatened species, wild cotton was once called "a worthless plant" in south Florida and all wild and cultivated plants of south Florida were historically purposely destroyed from 1932-1971 with the intent of the "final eradication of all wild cotton in Florida" in order to reduce the impact of the boll weevil to commercial cotton (Henneberry et al. 1980; USDA 1950, 1955, 1956). It was claimed that from 1933-1950, "over 17 million such plants" were destroyed (USDA 1950). Wild cotton was reportedly found in Hudson in Pasco Co. and Grant in Brevard Co. (Noble 1969)." (Wunderlin et al. 2024).

Synonymy ⓘ: = Ar, C, Fl4, FNA6, G, Il, K4, Mo3, NcTx, NY, Tx, WH3, Fryxell (1969), Fryxell (1992); = Gossypium herbaceum L. — F, misapplied; = n/a — Pa, RAB, Tat; > Gossypium herbaceum L. — S, S13, misapplied; > Gossypium hirsutum L. — S; > Gossypium hirsutum L. var. hirsutum — NE, NS, POWO; > Gossypium hirsutum L. var. marie-galante (G. Watt) J.B. Hutch. — NS; > Gossypium regiosum Roxb. — S13; Gossypium hirsutum L. Basionym: Gossypium hirsutum L. 1763

Links to other floras: = Gossypium hirsutum - FNA6

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Wetland Indicator Status:

• Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plain: FACU
• Eastern Mountains and Piedmont: FACU
• Great Plains: UPL
• Midwest: UPL
• Northcentral & Northeast: UPL

Heliophily ⓘ: 7