Gossypium herbaceum
Encyclopedia
Gossypium herbaceum, also called Levant cotton, is a species of cotton
native to the semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa
and Arabia where it still grows in the wild as a perennial shrub. It was probably first cultivated in Ethiopia
or southern Arabia and from there, cultivation spread to Persia, Afghanistan, Turkey, North Africa, Spain, Ukraine, Turkestan and finally, to China. It was first cultivated in China by about 600 AD.
A legend was perpetuated from a factual description of this plant by Greek historian Herodotus
in the 5th century BC. Although his book, simply titled Histories
, was an account of a war between the Persian Empire and the Greek city-states; it also contained descriptions of vast lands beyond the boundaries of the world known by the Greeks at that time.
He wrote: "certain trees...bear forth their fruit fleeces surpassing those of sheep in beauty and excellence, and the natives clothe themselves in cloths made therefrom."
From this description came the legend of the "vegetable lamb plant" which was said to be a real sheep. The tree would grow from a melon like seed and grow into a lamb rooted to the earth by a stem from its navel. It was said to graze on the surrounding vegetation until the all greenery around it was devoured at which point it would wither and die. A 14th-century traveler by the name of Sir John Mandeville, professed to eating the flesh of this herbal beast. Although scientist tried to debunk this tale it was not officially labeled as a fable until 1887.
Gossypium
Gossypium is the cotton genus. It belongs to the tribe Gossypieae, in the mallow family, Malvaceae, native to the tropical and subtropical regions from both the Old and New World. The genus Gossypium comprises around 50 species , making it the largest in species number in the tribe Gosssypioieae....
native to the semi-arid regions of sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa as a geographical term refers to the area of the African continent which lies south of the Sahara. A political definition of Sub-Saharan Africa, instead, covers all African countries which are fully or partially located south of the Sahara...
and Arabia where it still grows in the wild as a perennial shrub. It was probably first cultivated in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
or southern Arabia and from there, cultivation spread to Persia, Afghanistan, Turkey, North Africa, Spain, Ukraine, Turkestan and finally, to China. It was first cultivated in China by about 600 AD.
A legend was perpetuated from a factual description of this plant by Greek historian Herodotus
Herodotus
Herodotus was an ancient Greek historian who was born in Halicarnassus, Caria and lived in the 5th century BC . He has been called the "Father of History", and was the first historian known to collect his materials systematically, test their accuracy to a certain extent and arrange them in a...
in the 5th century BC. Although his book, simply titled Histories
Histories (Herodotus)
The Histories of Herodotus is considered one of the seminal works of history in Western literature. Written from the 450s to the 420s BC in the Ionic dialect of classical Greek, The Histories serves as a record of the ancient traditions, politics, geography, and clashes of various cultures that...
, was an account of a war between the Persian Empire and the Greek city-states; it also contained descriptions of vast lands beyond the boundaries of the world known by the Greeks at that time.
He wrote: "certain trees...bear forth their fruit fleeces surpassing those of sheep in beauty and excellence, and the natives clothe themselves in cloths made therefrom."
From this description came the legend of the "vegetable lamb plant" which was said to be a real sheep. The tree would grow from a melon like seed and grow into a lamb rooted to the earth by a stem from its navel. It was said to graze on the surrounding vegetation until the all greenery around it was devoured at which point it would wither and die. A 14th-century traveler by the name of Sir John Mandeville, professed to eating the flesh of this herbal beast. Although scientist tried to debunk this tale it was not officially labeled as a fable until 1887.