''Gossypium tomentosum'', commonly known as ''maʻo'', ''huluhulu'' or Hawaiian 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 ...

that is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to the

Hawaiian Islands The Hawaiian Islands () are an archipelago of eight major volcanic islands, several atolls, and numerous smaller islets in the Pacific Ocean, North Pacific Ocean, extending some from the Hawaii (island), island of Hawaii in the south to nort ...

. Genetic studies indicate that Hawaiian cotton is related to American species of ''Gossypium'', with its closest relative ''

Gossypium hirsutum ''Gossypium hirsutum'', also known as upland cotton or Mexican cotton, is the most widely planted species of cotton in the world. Globally, about 90% of all cotton production is of cultivars derived from this species. In the United States, the wo ...

''.

Description

''Maʻo'' is a

shrub A shrub or bush is a small to medium-sized perennial woody plant. Unlike herbaceous plants, shrubs have persistent woody stems above the ground. Shrubs can be either deciduous or evergreen. They are distinguished from trees by their multiple ...

that reaches a height of 1.5–5 ft (0.46–1.52 m) and a diameter of 5–10 ft (1.5–3.0 m). The seed hairs (lint) are short and reddish brown, unsuitable for spinning or twisting into thread. Its flowers are bright yellow and have from 3-5 lobes that bloom in late summer to winter.

Distribution

Its ancestor may have come to the islands from the

Americas The Americas, sometimes collectively called America, are a landmass comprising the totality of North America and South America.''Webster's New World College Dictionary'', 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio. When viewed as a sing ...

as a seed on the wind or in the droppings of a bird, or as part of floating debris.

Habitat

It inhabits low shrublands at elevations from sea level to 120 m (390 ft). They can be found on all main Hawaiian islands besides Hawai'i, otherwise known as the Big Island.

Modern use

''Gossypium tomentosum'' has been bred with other cotton plants to try and get a more persistent cotton plant for. Ma’o has also been studied with the interest in greater pollination consistency. Additionally, Ma’o has been used to breed with other cotton plants to try and build up more resilience to

salt In common usage, salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl). When used in food, especially in granulated form, it is more formally called table salt. In the form of a natural crystalline mineral, salt is also known as r ...

. The

salinity Salinity () is the saltiness or amount of salt (chemistry), salt dissolved in a body of water, called saline water (see also soil salinity). It is usually measured in g/L or g/kg (grams of salt per liter/kilogram of water; the latter is dimensio ...

of its

habitat In ecology, habitat refers to the array of resources, biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species' habitat can be seen as the physical manifestation of its ...

is high due to its close proximity to the ocean and thus has a resistance to salt more than other species.

Cultural significance

Native Hawaiians Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was settled at least 800 years ago by Polynesian ...

use ''maʻo'' flowers to make a yellow dye. They were also used to aid childbirth and mitigate stomach aches.

Conservation status

''Gossypium tomentosum'' is under the G2 status and is considered at risk of

extinction Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ...

due to its lack of reach around the world. This conservation status comes from the NatureServe definitions on different elements that affect species diversity.

References

External links

''Gossypium tomentosum'' (ma'o) information
from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR)
''Gossypium tomentosum'' (ma'o) images
from Forest & Kim Starr tomentosum Plants described in 1865 Endemic flora of Hawaii Flora without expected TNC conservation status {{Gossypieae-stub