Gossypium hirsutum L.

UPLAND COTTON; WILD COTTON

**

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).

Native Threatened-State FACU (NWPL)

**