Tree cotton is the old Asian desi cotton, the species behind the cotton cloth of the Indus Valley and the fine muslins of Bengal. Hindi farmers call it desi kapas to set it apart from American upland cotton, Gossypium hirsutum, which now fills most Indian fields. Desi cotton has short, strong lint, tolerates drought and pests, and is grown on a small scale in rain-fed fields of Maharashtra, Gujarat and Karnataka.
- Botanical name
- Gossypium arboreum L.
- Family
- Malvaceae
- Tamil
- Marapparuthi
- Hindi
- Desi kapas
- Parts used
- Lint, Seed oil
- Habit
- Old-World cotton shrub; lint is fibre, seed is not a children’s chew
- Last updated
- 2026-10-27
How to recognise Tree cotton
It is a shrub, often perennial, one to two metres tall, with leaves deeply cut into five to seven narrow lobes.
The flowers are yellow or reddish-purple, usually with a dark purple spot at the base of each petal.
The bracts under the flower are small and have few or no teeth, unlike the large toothed bracts of upland cotton.
The bolls are small, pointed and often hang downwards, opening into three segments of short, coarse lint.
Seeds stay covered in grey or brown fuzz after ginning.
Traditional use of Tree cotton
Fibre
Desi lint was spun by hand on the charkha for khadi, and its short fibres suit absorbent surgical cotton and quilt stuffing.
Indian textile practice
Fibre
The famed Dhaka muslin was woven from a local form of this species, phuti karpas, grown along the Meghna river.
Bengal textile history
Farming
Farmers in rain-fed areas grew it in mixed fields with pulses and millets, and saved seed for the next season.
Deccan farm practice
Modern notes on Tree cotton
Cotton thread found in a copper bead at Mehrgarh in Pakistan is about eight thousand years old, among the oldest evidence of cotton use.
Desi cotton is naturally more tolerant of sucking pests and leaf curl virus than upland cotton.
Since Bt upland hybrids spread after 2002, desi cotton has fallen to a small share of India’s cotton area.
Researchers and agencies have promoted desi varieties again for rain-fed and organic farming.
Tree cotton safety
Raw seed and unrefined oil contain gossypol and are not food. Cotton dust in mills can cause byssinosis, a lung disease.
Ecology and sourcing
It was domesticated in South Asia, probably in the Indus region, from a wild ancestor that has not been found.
It is suited to hot, dry conditions with uncertain rain.
Bees visit its flowers, and its nectar glands attract ants.
Related plants
Also in Malvaceae
Questions about Tree cotton
What is desi kapas?
This species, the traditional Indian tree cotton.
How is Tree cotton different from American kapas?
It has shorter lint, small untoothed bracts and often purple-spotted flowers.
Is Tree cotton still grown?
Yes, on a small scale in rain-fed parts of western and central India.
Was Dhaka muslin made from Tree cotton?
Yes, from a local form called phuti karpas.
Can cottonseed be eaten?
Only as refined oil; raw seed contains gossypol.
Sources
- Gossypium arboreum L. — Plants of the World Online, Kew (search) (accessed 2026)
- Wikidata item Q310124 (Gossypium arboreum)
Educational page about a plant. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not an offer to sell. Traditional use is historical. If you need care, ask a licensed clinician. Questions: hello@meevamed.com.