gossypium

from WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006)

Gossypium
    n 1: herbs and shrubs and small trees: cotton [syn: {Gossypium},
         {genus Gossypium}]

from The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48

Gossypium \Gos*syp"i*um\, n. [NL., fr. L. gossypion, gossipion.]
   (Bot.)
   A genus of plants which yield the cotton of the arts. The
   species are much confused. {G. herbaceum} is the name given
   to the common cotton plant, while the long-stapled sea-island
   cotton is produced by {G. Barbadense}, a shrubby variety.
   There are several other kinds besides these.
   [1913 Webster]