The scientific name for cotton is Gossypium, which is a plant belonging to the Malvaceae family.
If you're interested in learning more about the cotton plan, and the role cotton plays in our history, then here are a few fascinating facts:- There is evidence of cotton being used as far back as 7000 years ago, but the use of cotton became widespread within India between 2000BC and 1000BC.
- The Industrial Revolution in Britain paved the way for large scale cotton manufacturing, as textiles became Britain's leading trade export.
- To this day, cotton is a massive export of the United States.
Uses of cotton:
Cotton is used primarily for clothing, but it does have plenty of other uses too, including the following:
- Bath towels/robes.
- Fishing nets.
- Coffee filters.
- Tents.
- Fire hoses were at one time made from cotton!
As you can see, cotton has a variety of uses, and has been a significant part of daily life throughout the world for thousands of years.
Here's a really interesting video about the history of cotton: