Gossypium tomentosum, commonly known as maʻo, huluhulu or Hawaiian cotton, is a species of cotton plant that is endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. Genetic studies indicate that Hawaiian cotton is related to American species of Gossypium, with its closest relative Gossypium hirsutum.[2]
| Gossypium tomentosum | |
|---|---|
| |
Scientific classification 
| |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Eudicots |
| Clade: | Rosids |
| Order: | Malvales |
| Family: | Malvaceae |
| Genus: | Gossypium |
| Subgenus: | G. subg. Karpas |
| Species: | G. tomentosum
|
| Binomial name | |
| Gossypium tomentosum | |
Description
editMaʻo is a shrub 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).[3] 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.[4]
Distribution
editIts ancestor may have come to the islands from the Americas as a seed on the wind or in the droppings of a bird, or as part of floating debris.[5]
Habitat
editIt inhabits low shrublands at elevations from sea level to 120 m (390 ft).[6] They can be found on all main Hawaiian islands besides Hawai'i, otherwise known as the Big Island.[7]
Modern use
editGossypium tomentosum has been bred with other cotton plants to try and get a more persistent cotton plant for.[8] Ma’o has also been studied with the interest in greater pollination consistency.[9][10] Additionally, Ma’o has been used to breed with other cotton plants to try and build up more resilience to salt.[11] The salinity of its habitat is high due to its close proximity to the ocean and thus has a resistance to salt more than other species.
Cultural significance
editNative Hawaiians use maʻo flowers to make a yellow dye.[12] They were also used to aid childbirth and mitigate stomach aches.[13]
Conservation status
editGossypium tomentosum is under the G2 status and is considered at risk of extinction due to its lack of reach around the world.[14] This conservation status comes from the NatureServe definitions on different elements that affect species diversity.[15]
References
edit- ^ "Gossypium tomentosum". Germplasm Resources Information Network. Agricultural Research Service, United States Department of Agriculture. Retrieved 2011-09-09.
- ^ Small, Randall L.; Ryburn, Julie A.; Cronn, Richard C.; Seelanan, Tosak; Wendel, Jonathan F. (September 1998). "The tortoise and the hare: choosing between noncoding plastome and nuclear Adh sequences for phylogeny reconstruction in a recently diverged plant group". American Journal of Botany. 85 (9): 1301–1315. doi:10.2307/2446640. ISSN 0002-9122. JSTOR 2446640.
- ^ Kealoha, May K.; Sinclair, Sandra L.; Richardson, Karol K. (2019-09-16). "Mālama nā makua i nā keiki me ka hānō: Native Hawaiian Parents Caring for Their Children with Asthma, (Part 2)". Asian/Pacific Island Nursing Journal. 4 (3): 97–107. doi:10.31372/20190403.1020. ISSN 2373-6658. PMID 31583264.
- ^ "Native Plants Hawaii - Viewing Plant : Gossypium tomentosum". nativeplants.hawaii.edu. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
- ^ DeJoode, Daniel R.; Wendel, Jonathan F. (November 1992). "Genetic Diversity and Origin of the Hawaiian Islands Cotton, Gossypium tomentosum". American Journal of Botany. 79 (11): 1311. doi:10.2307/2445059. JSTOR 2445059.
- ^ "Bernice P. Bishop Museum, Hawaii". Nature. 189 (4758): 20–21. January 1961. doi:10.1038/189020e0. ISSN 0028-0836.
- ^ "Maʻo (Gossypium tomentosum) – Maui Nui Botanical Gardens". Retrieved 2024-12-02.
- ^ Lehman, Alex; Pender, Richard; Morden, Clifford; Wieczorek, Ania M. (January 2014). "Assessment of Persistence of Hybrids between Alien Pima Cotton, Gossypium barbadense (Malvaceae), and Endemic Hawaiian Cotton, G. tomentosum , in Hawai'i 1". Pacific Science. 68 (1): 85–96. doi:10.2984/68.1.8. ISSN 0030-8870.
- ^ Pleasants, John M.; Wendel, Jonathan F. (January 2010). "Reproductive and Pollination Biology of the Endemic Hawaiian Cotton, Gossypium tomentosum (Malvaceae)". Pacific Science. 64 (1): 45–55. doi:10.2984/64.1.045. ISSN 0030-8870.
- ^ Krakos, Kyra N.; Booth, Gary M.; Bernhardt, Peter (January 2010). "Mechanical vs. Beetle-mediated Self-pollination in Gossypium Tomentosum (Malvaceae), an Endangered Shrub". International Journal of Insect Science. 2. doi:10.4137/IJIS.S4801. ISSN 1179-5433.
- ^ Oluoch, George; Zheng, Juyun; Wang, Xingxing; Khan, Muhammad Kashif Riaz; Zhou, Zhongli; Cai, Xiaoyan; Wang, Chunying; Wang, Yuhong; Li, Xueyuan; Wang, Heng; Liu, Fang; Wang, Kunbo (May 2016). "QTL mapping for salt tolerance at seedling stage in the interspecific cross of Gossypium tomentosum with Gossypium hirsutum". Euphytica. 209 (1): 223–235. doi:10.1007/s10681-016-1674-6. ISSN 0014-2336.
- ^ Roeder, K.; West, J.; Smith, B. (2011-03-01). "Making a smoker to produce cellulose-based smoke for treating forest tree seeds". Native Plants Journal. 12 (1): 27–30. doi:10.3368/npj.12.1.27. ISSN 1522-8339.
- ^ "Gossypium tomentosum". Plant Pono. Retrieved 2024-11-05.
- ^ "Hawai'i Cotton / Center For Plant Conservation". Retrieved 2024-11-05.
- ^ "Definitions of NatureServe Conservation Status Ranks". help.natureserve.org. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
External links
edit
Media related to Gossypium tomentosum at Wikimedia Commons
Data related to Gossypium tomentosum at Wikispecies
- Gossypium tomentosum (ma'o) information from the Hawaiian Ecosystems at Risk project (HEAR)
- Gossypium tomentosum (ma'o) images from Forest & Kim Starr
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