Levant cotton (Gossypium herbaceum)

Gossypium herbaceum, Levant cotton, is one of the two Old World cottons, the other being tree cotton, Gossypium arboreum. Both were grown in India long before the long-staple American cottons arrived. It is still grown on a small scale in dry parts of Gujarat and Karnataka, valued for drought tolerance. Most cotton in India today is American upland cotton, Gossypium hirsutum.

Botanical name: Gossypium herbaceum L.
Family: Malvaceae
Tamil: Levant paruthi
Hindi: Levant kapas
Parts used: Lint, Seed oil
Habit: Old-World cotton; English cotton is a shop word
Last updated: 2026-10-30

How to recognise Levant cotton

It is a bushy annual or short-lived perennial, usually under a metre and a half, with palmately lobed leaves.

Flowers are pale yellow with a purple spot at the base of the petals, turning pink as they fade.

The boll is small and round, splitting to release seeds covered in short, coarse white lint.

American upland cotton, Gossypium hirsutum, is taller with larger bolls and longer fibre.

Its fibre is short and coarse, suited to hand-spinning, padding and thicker cloth rather than fine fabrics.

Traditional use of Levant cotton

Textile

Old World cottons were spun and woven in the Indian subcontinent for thousands of years. The Indus Valley has some of the earliest cotton cloth known.

Textile history

Farming

Farmers in Gujarat’s dry Wagad region and parts of Karnataka grow desi herbaceum cotton because it survives drought.

Western Indian farm practice

Modern notes on Levant cotton

Cottonseed contains gossypol, a toxic compound, so oil and meal are processed before use.

Breeders value Old World cottons for drought tolerance and pest resistance.

Levant cotton safety

Do not eat raw cottonseed. Use only refined cottonseed oil.

Ecology and sourcing

It is native to dry regions of Africa and Arabia and was domesticated there and in western India.

It needs less water than American cotton.

Bees visit its flowers.

Its tolerance of saline, dry soils lets farmers grow a crop where irrigated cotton fails.

Related plants

Also in Malvaceae

Questions about Levant cotton

Is Levant cotton Bt cotton?

No. Bt cotton in India is Gossypium hirsutum.

What is desi cotton?

Native Old World cottons, herbaceum and arboreum.

Is cottonseed edible?

Only after processing to remove gossypol.

Is Levant cotton grown commercially?

On a small scale, in parts of Gujarat and Karnataka.

Sources

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.