''Gossypium arboreum'' var. ''neglecta'', locally known as Phuti karpas or Phuti Karpash, is a variety of ''

Gossypium arboreum ''Gossypium arboreum'', commonly called tree cotton, is a species of cotton native to Indian subcontinent and other tropical and subtropical regions of the Old World. There is evidence of its cultivation as long ago as the Indus Valley Civilisa ...

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 Bangladesh, especially near

Dhaka Dhaka ( or ; , ), List of renamed places in Bangladesh, formerly known as Dacca, is the capital city, capital and list of cities and towns in Bangladesh, largest city of Bangladesh. It is one of the list of largest cities, largest and list o ...

along the river banks, and in some places in West Bengal, India. It was believed to be extinct. The cotton from this plant was used to make

Dhaka muslin Muslin () is a cotton fabric of plain weave. It is made in a wide range of weights from delicate sheers to coarse sheeting. It is commonly believed that it gets its name from the city of Mosul, Iraq. Muslin was produced in different regions of ...

, a rare extinct fabric. It could be spun so that individual threads could maintain tensile strength at counts higher than any other variety of cotton. In 2015, in a project to resurrect Muslin, Phuti Karpas plants are being searched by planting similar plants along the river.

Description

Phuti Karpas was a perennial herbaceous plant with soft droopy stem. The green venous leaves were palmate, and deeply divided into three lobes. Phuti Karpas would produce flowers twice a year and had very short fibers. These fibers needed special conditions, like selective humidity and temperature to be converted into yarn.

Distribution & Cultivation

Main cultivation area of Phuti Karpas was very small, along the high banks of river Meghna, Shitalakshya and

Brahmaputra The Brahmaputra is a trans-boundary river which flows through Southwestern China, Northeastern India, and Bangladesh. It is known as Brahmaputra or Luit in Assamese, Yarlung Tsangpo in Tibetan, the Siang/Dihang River in Arunachali, and ...

and its branches near Dhaka. The cultivation of Phuti Karpas was stopped by the end of the 18th century. The variety of the cotton plant is believed to be extinct. In 2015, in a non-government project to resurrect Muslin, seeds of plants similar to ''Gossypium arboreum'' var. ''neglecta'' were planted along the river banks of Meghna in Kapasia, 30 km north of Dhaka, Bangladesh. 70% similarity with Phuti Karpas was found by searching along the river banks in Gazipur, Mymensingh and Chittagong Hill Tracts. Government venture to revive Muslin was implemented by

Bangladesh Handloom Board The Bangladesh Handloom Board is a government owned and operated statutory public sector organisation in Dhaka, Bangladesh. As of 2024, Mr. Abu Ahmed Siddiquei, Additional Secretary is the Chairman of the board. History The Bangladesh Handloom B ...

Cotton Development Board Cotton Development Board or CDB is a government organization responsible for the cotton production and research in Bangladesh, is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. History Bangladesh has a glorious history of cotton and textile production. In the Mi ...

and

University of Rajshahi The University of Rajshahi (), also known as Rajshahi University (RU), is a public research university located in Rajshahi, Bangladesh. It is the second oldest and third largest university in Bangladesh. The university's 59 departments are or ...

which found 6 similar species to Phuti Karpas out of 39 collected samples from Cumilla.

Geographical indications

"Dhakai Phuti karpas cotton" is registered as the 39th GI product of Bangladesh. Furthermore the "plant and seed of Dhakai Phuti karpas cotton" has been listed on the ''Geographical Indication Journal'' by

Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks The Department of Patents, Designs and Trademarks is the main government department responsible for patents and trademarks in Bangladesh. It is located in Dhaka, Bangladesh. History On 11 May 1985, the Government of Bangladesh joined the World I ...

(DPDT) awaiting recognition after application was filed by

References

{{Reflist Geographical indications in Bangladesh Fiber plants Crops originating from Bangladesh arboreum var. neglecta