''Gossypium darwinii'', or Darwin's cotton, is a species of
cotton plant
''Gossypium'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the tribe Gossypieae of the mallow family, Malvaceae, from which cotton is harvested. It is native to tropical and subtropical regions of the Old and New Worlds. There are about 50 ''Gossypi ...
which is found only on the
Galapagos Islands. Genetic studies indicate that it is most closely related to the native American species ''
Gossypium barbadense
''Gossypium barbadense'' is one of several species of cotton. It is in the Malvaceae, mallow family. It has been cultivated since antiquity, but has been especially prized since a form with particularly long fibers was developed in the 19th cent ...
'',
thus it is surmised that a seed arrived from South America on the wind, in the droppings of a bird or associated with debris by sea.
References
Genetic Study of Darwin's cotton
External links
UC Botanical Garden Photo of Darwin's cotton
darwinii
Endemic flora of the Galápagos Islands
{{Gossypieae-stub